title: Bacterial pathogens and their antimicrobial susceptibility in Kumasi, Ghana.
abstract: Between January, 1994 and June, 1996 a survey of bacterial isolates from clinical specimens and their antimicrobial susceptibility was performed at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, Microbiology Department, Kumasi, Ghana. A total of 11,380 bacterial isolates were cultured from eight different specimens. The sites of origin were wounds 32.2%, urine 28.1%, ear, nose and throat 3.6%, sputum 2.5% and aspirates 2.5%. Gram-negative bacteria accounted for 7955 (69.9%) isolates, the main species were Escherichia coli 47.1%, Pseudomonas spp. 16.8%, Proteus spp 14.6%, Klebsiella spp 10.2%, Neisseria gonorrhoeae 4.2%, Gram-positive bacteria contributed 3425 ((30.1%) of isolates, with Staphylococcus aureus 54.6% being the most predominant followed by Coagulase negative Staphylococcus 18.1%, Streptococcus pneumoniae 13.7% and Beta-haemolytic streptococci 4.1%. Escherichia coli showed 88% and 82% resistance to ampicillin and cotrimoxazole respectively with 78% being susceptible to gentamicin. Cefuroxime resistance in Gram-negative bacilli was 5%. As much as 30.6% and 21.7% of Streptococcus pneumoniae isolates were resistant to Penicillin and chloramphenicol respectively. Ten per cent of Staphylococcus aureus strains were susceptible to penicillin and 18% were resistant to flucloxacillin.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Microbiology, School of Medical Sciences, University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ohene
mesh_terms: D004352:Drug Resistance, Microbial; D005869:Ghana; D016905:Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D016908:Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D006784:Hospitals, Teaching; D006801:Humans; D017053:Infection Control; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D015995:Prevalence; D012703:Serotyping