ANTIBACTERIAL SUSCEPTIBILITY PROFILE OF BACTERIAL PATHOGENS ISOLATED FROM WOUND INFECTION IN PATIENTS ATTENDING GENERAL HOSPITAL AZARE

ABSTRACT Wound infections remain a significant healthcare concern globally, particularly in developing countries where access to proper medical care and hygiene practices may be limited. The primary objective of this study is to isolate and identify bacterial pathogens associated with wound infections in patients attending General Hospital Azare, and to determine their antimicrobial susceptibility profiles. This study employed a crosssectional descriptive design. Wound swab samples are collected from patients using sterile techniques to prevent contamination. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing is performed using the Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method, following the guidelines of the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute. The patients' ages ranged from 10 to 70 years, with a mean age of 35 years. The majority of patients (60%) were male, and 40% were female. From the 20 wound swabs collected, a total of 26 bacterial isolates were obtained. Some patients had multiple bacterial pathogens isolated from their wound samples. Staphylococcus aureus was the most frequently isolated organism (30.8%), followed by Escherichia coli (19.2%) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (15.4%). The antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed on all 26 bacterial isolates. High levels of resistance were observed against penicillin (87.5%), while susceptibility was highest for vancomycin (100%). The results indicate a high prevalence of bacterial pathogens in wound infections, with Staphylococcus aureus being the most common isolate. Antimicrobial resistance was observed, particularly for penicillin in Staphylococcus aureus and amoxicillin in Escherichia coli. Multidrug resistance was also prevalent among a significant proportion of the isolates. No significant associations were found between patient gender and the type of bacterial isolate