OBJECTIVETo observe the bacterial characteristic of orthopedic open wounds injured in Wenchuan earthquake and their drug-resistant pattern for reasonable application of antibiotics.

METHODSA total of 340 secretion specimens isolated from 148 cases of orthopedic open wounds of earthquake victims were analyzed. Among the patients, 71 patients were male and 77 patients were female, ranging in age from 2 to 82 years, with an average of 40.4 years. Thirty-seven patients were detained under the ground ranged from 5 min to 102 h. The 340 specimens of exudation in the wound were collected for bacterial culture and drug sensitivity tests.

RESULTSThe infection rate of 148 cases was 66.2 percent. Two hundred and fifty-seven pathogens were isolated from 340 secretion specimen, including gram-negative bacteria accounted for 77.8%, gram-positive bacteria accounted for 20.6%. The most frequent pathogens isolated from secretion culture in Wenchuan earthquake survivors were Escherichia coli (16.3%), Acinetobacter baumannii (16.0%), Staphylococcus aureus (13.6%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (12.5%) and Enterobacter cloacae (8.6%).

CONCLUSIONThe drug sensitivity test of exudation as well as exact application of antibiotics should be highly payed attention to by doctors in order to reduce the occurrence of bacterial resistance.