Resistance pattern of clinical isolates involved in surgical site infections

Wound infections due to the incursion of microbes need to be averted or to heal the wounds by antibiotics. Antibiotics are not only aid in cure of infections but also help to prevent the flourishing and production of one or more species of microorganism, resultant in purulent discharge. This current study was carried out to evaluate the resistance pattern of clinical isolates from surgical site infections by the Kirby Bauer disc diffusion method. A total of 257 clinical isolates were collected from different hospitals in Karachi and evaluated by using fifteen antibiotics belonging to different groups. Staphylococcus aureus [n=87], Escherichia coli [n=76], Pseudomonas aeruginosa [n=56], Proteus [n=21] and Klebsiella [n=17] species are the most common clinical isolates of surgical site infections. Among the semi-synthetic penicillins, ampicillin was found to be resistant to nearly all clinical isolates but amoxicillin was moderately sensitive to S. aureus. Combinations of semi-synthetic penicillins are more sensitive than the penicillin alone. Co-amoxiclave exhibits superior sensitivity to all the surgical infection isolates except Pseudomonas aeruginosa which showed 68.75% resistance. Pseudomonas aeruginosa was highly resistant to cephalosporin except ceftraixone which showed 21.88% resistance. S. aureus was slightly responsive to cefazolin, cephradine, cefaclor, ceftizoxime, cefuroxime and ceftriaxone. E. coli, Gram-negative clinical isolate was showed 25% and 31.25% resistance to ceftriaxone and cefuroxime. In the Klebsiella species, 71.42% and 64.29% resistance to cefazolin and cefuroxime respectively, was observed. Aminoglycosides such as gentamycin and tobramycin were found to be more susceptible to all the clinical isolates. Quinolones like ofloxacin and enoxacin were showed good sensitivity to nearly all the clinical isolates. On the basis of the present study, it is recommended to adopt a rational use of antibiotics in prophylaxis and the utilization of a coordinated scheme of surgical wound inspections.

Alternative tool to bone densitometry in ruling out osteoporosis in postmenopausal women between the age of 50 and 65 years

To devise an alternate tool to bone densitometry in ruling out osteoporosis in postmenopausal women between the age of 50 and 65. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on a sample of 200 females aged between 50 and 65, from 1st November 2002 to 15th January 2003. North Medical Ward, Unit-4 and Out Patient Clinics, Mayo Hospital, and Akram Medical Complex, Lahore. Main outcome measures: Application of a tool based on the risk factor assessment in postmenopausal women as an alternative to bone densitometry in ruling out osteoporosis. The study results showed that in postmenopausal women between the ages of 50 and 65 years without any major risk factors as assessed by using the questionnaire, the occurrence of osteoporosis was not evident although bone weakness of varying degrees was observed in 30.5% of the study sample. This tool thus provides us with an inexpensive and efficient way of ruling out osteoporosis in postmenopausal women between the ages of 50 and 65 years without assessing their BMD values