Bacteriological study of diabetic foot infection in Egypt

Abstract

testing. Results Overall, 40 (54%) patients had subcutaneous infections, 22 (29%) had infected superficial ulcers, seven (9%) had infected deep ulcers involving muscle tissue, and six (8%) patients had osteomyelitis. A total of 99 pathogens were isolated. Forty percent of patients had polymicrobial infection, 39 (52%) had single organism infections, and six (8%) had no growth. Gram-negative bacteria (67%) were more commonly isolated compared with Gram-positive bacteria (30%). The three most frequently found Grampositive organisms were Staphylococcus aureus (10.2%), Streptococcus pyogenes (7.1%) and methicillin-resistant S. aureus (7.1%), and the most common Gram-negative organisms were Pseudomonas aeruginosa (19.4%), Klebsiella pneumoniae (15.3%), and Acinetobacter spp. (10.2%). Vancomycin was found to be the most effective against Gram-positive bacteria, whereas imipenem and amikacin were most effective against Gram-negative bacteria on antibiotic testing. Conclusion Forty percent of diabetic foot infections were polymicrobial. S. aureus and P. aeruginosa were the most common Gram-positive and Gram-negative organisms, respectively. This study helps us to choose empirical antibiotics for patients with diabetic foot infections.