Isolation, Identification and Antibiotic Susceptibility Profiling of Bacterial Pathogen from Post-Surgical Wounds
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.65761/pjcr.2026.290Keywords:
Antibiotic Susceptibility, Bacterial Pathogens, Post-Surgical WoundsAbstract
Background: Postoperative wound infections are a major cause of morbidity and mortality and may complicate surgical recovery. The emergence of antimicrobial-resistant pathogens further increases the clinical burden. To determine the frequency of bacterial pathogens responsible for postoperative wound infections in surgical wards and assess their antibiotic susceptibility patterns.
Methods: During a six-month study period, 200 wound samples were collected from patients in surgical wards. Samples were cultured for bacterial isolation and identification, followed by biochemical characterization and antibiotic susceptibility testing. Molecular characterization was performed following DNA extraction and PCR amplification using ITS primers, with subsequent sequencing and phylogenetic analysis.
Results: Of the 200 wound samples, 150 (75%) yielded bacterial pathogens, whereas 50 (25%) were bacteriologically sterile. Among the 120 samples obtained from males, 100 (83.3%) were positive, while 50 (62.5%) of 80 samples from females were positive. The predominant isolates were methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Escherichia coli. All isolates were catalase-positive. P. aeruginosa and E. coli were coagulase-negative, whereas MRSA was coagulase-positive; P. aeruginosa was also oxidase-positive. Antibiotic susceptibility testing demonstrated substantial resistance, particularly to cefepime in P. aeruginosa, ceftriaxone in E. coli, and clindamycin in MRSA. PCR amplification produced an approximately 800-bp band, while sequencing and phylogenetic analysis showed up to 90% similarity with P. aeruginosa, E. coli, and S. aureus.
Conclusion: Postoperative wounds remain an important reservoir of pathogenic and antimicrobial-resistant bacteria, highlighting the need for appropriate infection-control practices, microbiological surveillance, and targeted antimicrobial therapy.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Ayub Jadoon, Aiman Sultan, Muhammad Nazir Uddin, Sidra Saeed, Iftikhar Alam, Waseem Sajjad, Keziah Shaheen, Aroosa, Waseem Sajjad
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