Bacterial Profile of Diabetic Foot Ulcers of Patients Visiting a Specialist Diabetic Clinic at Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, Kumasi, Ghana

Aims: Diabetic foot ulcers (DFU’s) pose socio-economic challenges and are a major cause of hospital admissions and morbidity often causing suffering and poor quality of life for diabetics especially in developing world. The aim of this study was to determine the bacterial profile and antibiotic susceptibility and resistance pattern of foot ulcers of diabetics at Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH).
Study Design: Descriptive cross-sectional. Twenty seven (27) diabetics with foot ulcers comprising 15 males and 12 females attending the diabetic clinic at KATH were recruited for this study.
Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted at the diabetic clinic of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) between November 2006 and April 2007.
Methodology: Demographic parameters of the participants were recorded and wound swabs were obtained and cultured on blood and MacConkay agar. Organisms isolated were identified and tested for their antimicrobial sensitivity patterns using Kirby-Bauer method.
Results: The mean age of the participants, duration of diabetes and FBS were 58.2±12.0 years and 6.5±2 years and 12.3±4.0 mmol/L respectively. Two (2) patients had their toes amputated. Twenty nine (29) isolates were detected from the 27 ulcer specimens out of which 28 (97%) isolates were gram negative organisms. Proteus spp (31%) and Escherichia coli (24%) were the most common gram negative pathogens isolated in this study and Staphylococcus aureus was the only gram positive organism isolated. Ciprofloxacin (100%), ceftazidime (100%), Ceftriaxone (88.3%), gentamycin (80%) and cefotaxime (80%) were most sensitive to the isolates whereas ampicillin (0%), tetracycline (0%) and chloramphenicol (0%) were the most resistant.
Conclusions: Gram negative organisms’ highly sensitive to ciprofloxacin, ceftazidime and Ceftriaxone are the most common pathogens in DFU’s in KATH.