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Antibiotic Susceptibility of Monomicrobial and Polymicrobial Cultures Isolated from Chronic Wounds
Chronic wounds, a significant healthcare burden, often harbor complex bacterial flora that impede healing and increase the risk of developing hard-to-treat infections. This study investigates the antibiotic susceptibility of bacterial pathogens isolated from chronic wounds, focusing on monomicrobial and polymicrobial cultures. For this purpose, 110 samples from chronic wound of patients were collected together with the administration of a questionnaire for obtaining demographic information. Bacterial strains were isolated, and identified, after which the antibiotic sensitivity of monomicrobial as well as polymicrobial cultures was assessed against several antibiotics using the Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method. The findings implied that 91% of the samples were positive for bacterial growth and the most prevalent isolates were Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Klebsiella pneumoniae. Antibiotic sensitivity testing of monomicrobial cultures revealed that Linezolid was the most effective antibiotic against Gram positive bacteria whereas, Aztreonam and Cefoxitin were the least effective. Furthermore, Colistin was the most efficacious drug against Gram negative bacteria while Ceftazidime and Ceftriaxone were the least efficacious. The polymicrobial cultures exhibited elevated resistance and showed multi-drug as well as extensive drug resistance, underscoring the need for personalized treatment strategies. The findings emphasize the importance of understanding antibiotic resistance patterns to inform effective management of chronic wound infections. The study’s results indicate a significant increase in antibiotic resistance among bacteria isolated from chronic wounds, suggesting the necessity for novel drug discovery and antibiotic stewardship.
Keywords: Polymicrobial culture; P. aeruginosa; S. aureus; K. pneumonia; Linezolid; Colistin