Aetiology and antimicrobial studies of surgical wound infections in University of Uyo Teaching Hospital (UUTH), Uyo, Akwa-Ibom State, Nigeria

C. A. Etok., E.N. Edem and E. Ochang (2012) . Open Access Scientific Reports 1 (7): 1-5.

ABSTRACT
The prevalence of surgical wound infections and antibiotic sensitivity patterns of bacterial isolates at the
University of Uyo Teaching hospital was studied using standard microbiological techniques. From the 1370 surgeries, 120 (8.8%) patients had infected surgical wounds. Out of a total of 150 bacterial isolates, 100 (66.7%) were Gram-negative bacteria and 50 (33.3%) were Gram-positive bacteria. The most prevalent was Proteus spp (33.3%) followed by Staphylococcus aureus (20.0%), Escherichia coli (20.0%), Coagulase-negative Staphylococcus (13.3%), Klebsiella spp (6.7%) and Pseudomonas spp (6.7%) the least. Methicillin-resistance in Staphylococcus aureus was 100%. Extended spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) production was seen in 50% of Gram-negative bacteria (Proteus spp, E.coli and Klebsiella spp) and they were predominantly sensitive only to Imipenem. Both gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria were resistant to routinely used antibiotics. The gram-negative bacterial isolates were mainly resistant to Cefoxtazime, Cefpodoxime and Levofloxacin. Adequate preventive measures should therefore be enforced to prevent the spread of antibiotic resistant organisms since surgical wound infections constitute a major cause of mortality and morbidity.