Spectrum of antibiotic resistant bacteria and fungi isolated from chronically infected wounds in a rural district hospital in Ghana

Abstract
Background Chronic infected wounds are generally difficult to manage and treatment can be particularly challenging in resource-limited settings where diagnostic testing is not readily available. In this study, the epidemiology of microbial pathogens in chronically infected wounds in rural Ghana was assessed to support therapeutic choices for physicians. Methods Culture-based bacterial diagnostics including antimicrobial resistance testing were per formed on samples collected from patients with chronic wounds at a hospital in Asante Akim North Municipality, Ghana. Fungal detection was performed by broad-range fungal PCR and sequencing of amplicons. Results In total, 105 patients were enrolled in the study, from which 207 potential bacterial patho gens were isolated. Enterobacteriaceae (n = 84, 41%) constituted the most frequently iso lated group of pathogens. On species level, Pseudomonas aeruginosa (n = 50, 24%) and Staphylococcus aureus (n = 28, 14%) were predominant. High resistance rates were docu mented, comprising 29% methicillin resistance in S. aureus as well as resistance to 3rd gen eration cephalosporins and fluoroquinolones in 33% and 58% of Enterobacteriaceae, respectively. One P. aeruginosa strain with carbapenem resistance was identified. The most frequently detected fungi were Candida tropicalis.
Description
This article is published by Plos One and is also available at https://doi.org/10.1371/ journal.pone.0237263
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Citation
Krumkamp R, Oppong K, Hogan B, Strauss R, Frickmann H, Wiafe-Akenten C, et al. (2020) Spectrum of antibiotic resistant bacteria and fungi isolated from chronically infected wounds in a rural district hospital in Ghana
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