Characterizing the Profiles of Gram-Negative Bacterial Pathogens of Wound Infections and Their Drug-Resistance Disposition

Wound infections result from contamination of compromised skin following either intentional or accidental trauma. The failure of infected wounds to heal has a huge impact on global healthcare finances. For surveillance purposes, this investigation looks at wound infections and their susceptibility to antibiotics. Data obtained from the microbiology laboratory for the years 2014 and 2019 included wound characteristics, patient demographics, and causative bacteria pathogen. Also retrieved from an −80° C freezer were 270 Gram-negative bacteria isolates from wounds that formed part of patient care. Vitek Compact 2 was used for bacteria IDs and AST testing. Wound swabs were the majority (74.07%), followed by bedsore samples (12.22%). Others were tissue cultures (6.3%), skin swabs (3.7%), necrotizing fasciitis (1.48%), foot swabs (1.10%), and cervical wounds (1.11%). Isolated pathogens included Pseudomonas aeruginosa (33.6%), Escherichia coli (24.78%), Acinetobacter baumannii (21.85%), Klebsiella pneumoniae (17.65%), Proteus mirabilis (1.7%), and Morganelli morganii (0.41%). Most isolates had become MDR after 5 years, with extensive (100%) resistance to β-lactam and fluoroquinolone. Only tigecycline and amikacin maintained their antimicrobial activity for the period with some bacteria species. Suitable therapeutic options were few, irrespective of the year of isolation, particularly among the ESKAPE isolates. Overall results demonstrate that after a 5-year period, about 75% of the isolates of the bacteria pathogens had become resistant to most of the antibiotics used for their management.