P R ODUOR and P W MUGO
ABSTRACT
Background:
Diabetic foot infections are a common complication of diabetes mellitus. The microbiology of diabetic foot infections and sensitivity to antimicrobials varies geographically.
Objective:
To identify causative organisms and sensitivity to commonly available antimicrobials
Design:
This was a cross-sectional descriptive study conducted over a one-year period.
Study Setting:
The Nakuru Level 5 Hospital wound clinic.
Subjects/Participants:
The study recruited individuals with diabetic foot ulcers from the Nakuru Level 5 Hospital wound clinic. Deep tissues obtained during the debridement of infected diabetic foot ulcers were sent for culture and sensitivity. Micro-organisms grown in culture were identified and sensitivity to antibiotics was tested using the disk infusion method.
Results:
More than half (54%) of the diabetic foot infection cases were caused by multiple microbes, while 34% were caused by a single organism. Only aerobic bacteria were isolated and gram-negative bacteria were predominant. Specifically, Staphylococcus aureus and E. coli were the most common organisms isolated. Most organisms (68.8%) were susceptible to ciprofloxacin. The bacterial isolates were resistant to some of the commonly use antibiotics including cefuroxime (23.5%), ampicillin (19.6%), gentamicin (17.6%), and ceftriaxone (13.7%).
Conclusion:
Ciprofloxacin is an ideal choice for empiric antimicrobial therapy.
The etiology of DFU infections is predominantly polymicrobial. Staphylococcus aureus and E. coli are the main causes of diabetic foot infections.
