Prevalence and antibiotic susceptibility patterns of bacteria causing surgical site infections in a tertiary care centers in Lebanon

Surgical Site Infections (SSIs) are a significant global health concern, especially after noticing the development of bacteria that are also resistant to several antibiotics. In Lebanon, data on SSIs and their associated antimicrobial resistance patterns are scarce, highlighting a critical gap in local epidemiological knowledge. This study aimed to determine the distribution of bacterial pathogens and evaluate their antibiotic susceptibility among patients with SSIs in various Lebanese hospitals. The research is a multi-center and prospective cross-sectional study in which data was obtained from patients who developed SSIs after surgical procedures within the period of January - September 2024. Swabs from wounds or tissue samples were taken from the patients, while the isolation and identification of bacteria was performed using standard microbiological techniques through culture on media and biochemical identification tests. The antimicrobial resistance profiles were performed using disk diffusion method. Sociodemographic and medical data was collected in the patients' records. The Data was analyzed using SPSS. In total, 6933 patients were admitted in the surgical departments of different hospitals. SSIs occurred in 63 patients, with a rate of 0.91%, 95% CI [0.70%, 1.15%]. Gram-negative bacteria predominated (46 (73%)) including E. coli (13(20.6%)) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (12 (19%)), compared to Gram-positive bacteria (17 (27%)) such as Staphylococcus aureus (8(12.7%)). High levels of antibiotic resistance were found in Gram-positive isolates (71%) and Gram-negative isolates (61%), indicating a significant presence of multidrug-resistant organisms which is a serious threat to public health. This study highlights the high prevalence of antibiotic-resistance in bacteria causing SSIs in Lebanese hospitals and underscores the urgent need for stringent infection control and improved antibiotic management.