engleski

Microbiological spectrum from infected chronic leg wounds

Introduction and objective: Chronic leg wounds are colonized by different bacteria that could lead to an infection and even systemic complications. The aim of our clinical investigation was to determine the prevalence and antibiotic susceptibility patterns of bacteria isolated from chronic leg ulcers specimens in patients hospitalized at Dermatovenereology, Clinical Hospital Center Rijeka due to local and/or systemic signs of infection during the period from 2016 to 2018. Methods: We have evaluated the frequency and antimicrobial sensitivity of strains isolated from swabs and tissue biopsies in chronic leg wound patients hospitalized due to the clinical signs and/or laboratory findings of local or systemic infection. Sensitivity of isolated strains to different antibiotics was performed by the disc diffusion, or e-test method according to EUCAST standard protocol. Results: 266 chronic wound samples were collected from 59% women and 41% men, mostly in patients with chronic venous insufficiency 72.6%, diabetic ulcers 10.4%, followed by arterial 6.2% and ulcers of other aethyology 10.8%. Most common bacteria identified were Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus but the presence of gram-negative bacteria species showed a tendency to increase. Multi-drug resistant organisms were rare. Recurrent infections were more common in wounds with longer duration regardless of microorganisms isolated. Conclusions: The results of our investigation demonstrate the frequency and antimicrobial susceptibility of bacteria isolated in patients with infected chronic leg ulcers hospitalized in our Department. A shift towards gram- negative bacteria as significant cause of infection in patients with chronic wounds was noted over the years. The results suggest that the colonization and recurrent infection of chronic leg ulcers with different Gram-positive and Gram-negative organisms could contribute to impaired wound healing.

chronic wound ; infection ; bacteria

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