Primary surgical infections are the second most common cause of surgical admission and contribute considerably to morbidity and mortality of surgical patients in developing countries. This study aimed to determine a bacterial profile and antimicrobial susceptibility patterns in primary surgical infections. Methods: This was a prospective cross-sectional study including 150 patients diagnosed clinically as primary surgical infections. Antibiotic susceptibility testing was done on the isolates using the disc diffusion method. Results: Positive cultures were obtained from 122 patients; Gram-positive bacteria were responsible for 48% (n = 59), Gram-negative for 39% (n = 48), mixed flora for 10% (n = 12) and Candida for 2% (n = 3) of primary surgical infections. The alarming finding was that 78% of Staphylococcus aureus were resistant to oxacillin (MRSA) and 83% resistant to cephalosporins, whilst 3 isolates showed intermediate resistance to vancomycin. Gram-negative isolates also demonstrated antibiotic resistance. Conclusions: This study provides recent baseline data both on the bacterial profile and the antibiotic susceptibility patterns in primary surgical infections in the Papua New Guinean setting and it should guide therapeutic policies in the country. There is a growing need for surveillance of the local microbiological epidemiology and for antimicrobial stewardship to ensure that the empirical use of antibiotics is appropriate.
Bacterial diseases/Diagnosis ; Anti-infective agents/Therapeutic use