Antibiotic susceptibility pattern of bacterial isolates from wound infections among patients attending a tertiary care hospital in Oman

Wound infections are considered as a major cause of morbidity and mortality around the world and it is associated with long hospital stays and increased costs. This study aims to determine the prevalence of bacterial pathogens, associated risk factors and the antibiotic susceptibility patterns of wound infections among patients attending a tertiary care hospital in Oman. One hundred and sixty wound swabs were collected using clean, sterile swabs from patients attending Sultan Qaboos University Hospital(SQUH), as a tertiary care hospital in Oman. These wound swabs were inoculated into appropriate culture media. A microscopical examination was carried out in order to have a preliminary idea of the causative microorganism until the culture reports were available. Bacterial growth was identified by morphological aspects of colonies, followed by different biochemical tests. BD Phoenix^TM system was used to confirm microbial identification and to determine the antibiotic sensitivities. Out of 160 wound swabs, 93(58.1%) were positive for wound infections. Staphylococcus aureus was the most prevalent microorganism. Elderly patients above 70 years had more wound infections compared to other age groups. Most of the isolated Gram-positive bacteria were sensitive to vancomycin except Enterococcus gallinarum. Isolated Gram-negative bacteria were 100% resistant to ampicillin except for Proteus mirabilis. Multi-drug resistant (MDR) organisms had quit high prevalence in wound infections among Omani patients, therefore there is a need for adequate intervention to limit the spread and evolution of further resistance.