BACKGROUND: In diabetic foot infections (DFIs), the diversity of microbial profile and ever\u2011changing antibiotic\u2011resistance patterns emphasize accurate characterization of microbial profile and antibiotic susceptibility pattern. The aim of the study was to investigate the pathogens associated with DFI and their antibiotic susceptibility patterns. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross\u2011sectional retrospective study was conducted at a tertiary\u2011care hospital, Oman. The socio\u2011demographic and microbiological profile and antibiotic susceptibility patterns of pathogens isolated from patients with DFIs from January 2013 to December 2018 were reviewed. Quantitative and qualitative variables were expressed as mean \u00b1 standard deviation and percentages, respectively. A Chi\u2011square test was used for testing the association between multidrug\u2011resistant (MDR) organisms and variables. RESULTS: In total, 233 isolates recovered from 133 clinical specimens with an average of 1.8 organisms per specimen were included in the study. Fifty\u2011six and forty-four percent of specimens showed monomicrobial and polymicrobial growth of two or more organisms, respectively. The frequency of isolation was predominant among males (65%). Aerobic Gram\u2011negative rods were predominantly (75%) isolated compared to Gram\u2011positive organisms (25%). Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were the most frequently isolated Gram\u2011positive and Gram\u2011negative bacteria, respectively. Thirty\u2011eight percent of them were MDR strains. Gram\u2011negative organisms showed fairly good susceptibility ranging from 75% to 100% to carbapenems, aminoglycosides, and piperacillin\u2011tazobactam. While doxycycline and trimethoprim\u2011sulfamethoxazole showed good susceptibility toward Gram\u2011positive organisms. CONCLUSION: DFIs are often polymicrobial with a predominance of Gram\u2011negative pathogens. This study recommends the use of carbapenems and doxycycline for empirical therapy of Gram\u2011negative and Gram\u2011positive bacterial DFIs, respectively. Keywords: Antibiogram, beta\u2011lactamases, carbapenems, diabetic foot, polymicrobial infection<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Sannathimmappa MB1*, Vinod Nambiar1, Aravindakshan R2, Al-Khabori MS3, Al-Flaiti AH3, Al-Azri KN3, et al.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n