Bacteriological Profile of Chronic Osteomyelitis with Special Reference to Antibiotic Resistance Mechanisms/Patterns – A Cross-sectional Prospective Study from Tertiary Care Hospital in Central India

Objective: Chronic osteomyelitis is the infection and inflammation of the bone. Inappropriate use of antibiotics and multidrug resistance has raised the morbidity and mortality rate in chronic osteomyelitis. This study aims to determine the bacterial profile and antimicrobial susceptibility patterns of chronic osteomyelitis with special mention to various resistant mechanisms.

Methods: The study is a prospective design. Hundred (100) clinically diagnosed cases of chronic osteomyelitis of all age group and both sex admitted in a tertiary care hospital at central India, in one year were included. Samples like pus, sinus discharge or exudates were collected aseptically and sent for microbiological investigation. Antimicrobial susceptibility of bacterial isolates to the commonly used antibiotics was done by using modified Kirby Bauer disc diffusion method.

Results: The aerobic bacteriological study of chronic osteomyelitis showed Staphylococcus aureus is being continued to be major etiological agent followed by Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus epidermidis. Gram-positive isolates were sensitive to linezolid, teicoplanin while gram-negative isolates were sensitive to colistin, ciprofloxacin in the majority. The disease occurs mostly due to traumatic injuries commonly affecting the middle age group. In present study prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococci aureus and β Lactamase producing (ESBL, Amp-C and MBL) gram-negative bacilli is found to be on the higher side.

Conclusion: It has been the major cause of morbidity for a long time. The emerging multidrug-resistant strain is a major concern for the treatment. Identification of causative isolates and using a judicious selection of antibiotics will help the clinician in starting the empirical treatment accordingly would limit the multidrug resistance strains in the hospital as well as the community.