The Most Prevalent Organism in Diabetic Foot Ulcers and Its Drug Sensitivity and Resistance to Different Standard Antibiotics.

OBJECTIVE: To find the most prevalent organism in diabetic foot ulcers and its drug sensitivity and resistance to different standard antibiotics.

STUDY DESIGN: Adescriptive and cross-sectional study.

PLACE AND DURATION OF STUDY: Ward 7, Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Center, Karachi, from December 2010 to December 2012.

METHODOLOGY: Ninety-five diabetic patients with infected foot wounds of Wegener grade 2 - 5 who had not received any previous antibiotics were included in the study by consecutive sampling. Pus culture specimen from wounds was taken and the organism isolated was identified. Also the most sensitive group of antibiotics and the most resistant one to that organism was noted.

RESULTS: Staphylococcus aureuswas the most prevalent organism constituting 23.16% (n=22) of the organisms isolated; Escherichia coli with 17.89% (n=17) and Klebsiella with 12.63% (n=12) followed. Males presented more with diabetic foot (n=52) out of 95 patients. The most common age group affected was 41 - 60 years (73 patients). The organisms were most sensitive to Meropenem, effective in 90 (95%) patients and most resistant to Cotrimoxazole (80, 84% patients). Out of the 95 patients, 39 (41%) patients were hypertensive, 30 (31.5%) were obese and 14 (15%) were smokers. Staphylococcus aureus was the most prevalent organism overall irrespective to gender, age groups and co-morbidity of the patients.

CONCLUSION: Staphylococcus aureuswas the most frequent organism in diabetic foot ulcers; the most effective antibiotic is Meropenem and least effective is Cotrimoxazole.