Background: Bacterial wound infections are a common and serious health problem that can disrupt wound healing, resulting in morbidity and death in patients, particularly due to drug-resistant pathogens. Limited research exists on this topic in eastern Ethiopia.
Objective: This study aims to assess aerobic bacteria isolate, their drug susceptibility patterns and associated factors among suspected patients admitted for wound infection at Dil-Chora Referral Hospital, Dire Dawa, eastern Ethiopia.
Methods: A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 188 patients with wounds from March to June 2020. Data were collected using a pretested, structured questionnaire. Wound swabs and pus discharges from 188 patients were collected using convenient sampling techniques. Gram staining, biochemical testing, and culture were used to isolate and identify etiologic agents. Antibacterial susceptibility test was performed on Muller Hinton agar using the Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method.
Results: In this study, 89.4% of wound infections yielded bacteria, predominantly Gram-negative (54%) and Gram-positive (46%). S. aureus (32.9%) and Proteus species (28.6%) were predominant. Gender [AOR=7.5; 95% CI (5.6–13.2)], type of specimen [AOR=16.8; 95% CI (12.7–18.3)], and type of ward [AOR=12.3; 95% CI (8.3–16.5)] were significantly associated with bacterial wound infection. All isolated Gram-positive bacteria resisted Beta-lactams but responded to amikacin and vancomycin. Gram-negative bacteria showed high resistance to ampicillin, chloramphenicol, cotrimoxazole, ceftriaxone, and doxycycline, but they were susceptible to amikacin. Overall, multi-drug resistance was high at 85%.
Conclusions: Our study detected a high prevalence of bacterial wound infections with notable drug resistance. Gender (female), types of specimen (pus discharge), and types of ward (orthopedic ward) had a significant effect on the outcome variable (P< 0.05). Amikacin, gentamicin, and vancomycin emerged as preferred antibiotics at Dil-Chora hospital. Clinical diagnosis of wound infection should consider microbiological culture and susceptibility patterns for effective treatment.