Analysis of pathogen distribution and association with lipid levels in patients with diabetic foot.

BACKGROUND

Diabetic foot infection (DFI) is a severe complication of diabetes, and dyslipidemia is common in affected patients. However, the relationship between lipid profiles, pathogen distribution, and antimicrobial resistance in DFI remains unclear.

METHODS

This retrospective study analyzed clinical and microbiological data from 85 patients with diabetic foot treated between January 2021 and August 2024. Lipid parameters (total cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL-C, and LDL-C) were recorded. Pathogens were identified using routine culture and biochemical methods, and antimicrobial susceptibility was assessed by disk diffusion according to CLSI guidelines.

RESULTS

Gram-positive bacteria predominated (54.12%), followed by gram-negative bacteria (38.82%), with Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa being the most common isolates. Gram-positive bacteria showed the highest susceptibility to linezolid and vancomycin, whereas gram-negative bacteria were most sensitive to amikacin and piperacillin-tazobactam. No significant differences were observed in lipid levels among different pathogen groups, or between drug-resistant and non-resistant or multidrug-resistant and non-multidrug-resistant infections (all p > 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Lipid profiles were not significantly associated with pathogen distribution or antimicrobial resistance patterns in patients with diabetic foot infection. Further prospective studies are needed to clarify the role of lipid metabolism in infection susceptibility and clinical outcomes.