Antibiotic Profile of Pathogenic Bacteria Isolated from Postsurgical Site Infections in Public Hospitals in Northern Jordan.

BACKGROUND

Surgical site infections are hospital-acquired, vary from one hospital to another, and can cause significant postoperative morbidity, mortality, and prolonged hospital stay.

OBJECTIVE

The main aim of the study was to identify the bacterial pathogens associated with surgical site infections and their antibiotic susceptibility in a public hospital in northern Jordan.

METHODS

Postsurgical wound samples were collected and processed in a microbiology laboratory using standard microbiological techniques. Antibiotic susceptibility tests were performed using 13 antibiotics covering the gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria using the disc diffusion test.

RESULTS

The bacterial species that were identified in this study include Escherichia coli 8 (29%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa 3 (11%), Proteus mirabilis 1 (3.5%), Klebsiella pneumoniae 4 (14%), Salmonella enterica 2 (7%), Staphylococcus aureus 8 (29%), Staphylococcus epidermidis 1 (3.5%), and Streptococcus pyogenes 1 (4%). The antibiotic profiles of these bacteria showed high resistance. The MAR indices showed that 17 of 28 bacteria isolated were above 0.2 indicating high resistance.

CONCLUSION

Resistant bacteria are becoming more dominant in wound infections with a high prevalence of multidrug resistant isolates. Hospital disinfection and treatment protocols regarding the use of antibiotics should be practiced vigorously and monitored regularly to combat resistance.