Bacteriology of Surgical Site Infections and Antibiotic Susceptibility Pattern in Isolates of Postoperative Wound Infections

We aimed to evaluate the isolates of postsurgical infections, and study their sensitivity; so that strategies could be made by using proper antibiotic treatments.

Study isolates were obtained by swabs/pus from the subjects reported for surgical site infections (SSIs) at surgery department of a governmental tertiary care hospital, Nagpur, India, and were further transferred to the pathology department during the period from June 2009 to November 2011. About 250 cases of surgical site infection were evaluated with isolates form different surgical sites which were surmised to be infected based on clinical evaluation. The isolates were subjected to standard procedures, and antibiotic susceptibility test opting modified Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion technique.

Twelve types of organisms were isolated; most common was Klebsiella species (23.7%), Staphylococcus aureus (20.00%), followed by Escherichia coli (15.1%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (13.4%), coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS) (11.0%), etc. Results suggested 50% of the isolates having Staphylococcus aureus were resistant to methicillin. More than 60% of isolates having Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were resistant to gentamicin. The number of isolate showing resistance to 3rd generation cephalosporins and the quinolone antibiotics was high.

Surgical site infections crowded with multi-resistant organisms, not only increase the economic burden in the form of antibiotics, but also pose a serious threat to patients undergoing surgery. To avoid such infections, there is an urgent need to follow aseptic and sterilization techniques, also rationale use of antibiotics has to be done.