title: Chronic ulcers in Ikeja-Lagos, Nigeria: an eighteen month review of infecting bacterial agents and susceptibility pattern.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Chronic ulcers are an important cause of morbidity among surgical and medical patients. Infection in ulcers may delay healing and cause septicemia resulting in mortality. Microbial studies are important for the appropriate management of these ulcers.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The study investigates on eighteen month review of infecting bacterial agents and susceptibility pattern in chronic ulcers in Lagos, Nigeria.
  
  
  METHODS
  Details of all patients treated for ulcers that were investigated at the department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja-Lagos, Nigeria between July 1st 2009 and December 31, 2010 were retrieved from the computer database and transferred into the proforma designed for the study. Data collected were demography, date of onset of ulcer, mode of specimen collection, names of isolates and drug sensitivity patterns.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 329 cases were seen and reviewed during the study period. Males constituted 50.2%, females 38.3% and the gender of the remaining 11.6% were not indicated. There were 259 (78.7%) adults and 42 (12.8%) children. The ages of 28 cases were not indicated. Microbial growths were obtained in 217 (66.7%) patients. Gram negative (Gn) organisms were isolated in 181(83.5%) and Gram positive (Gp) in 35 (16%). The most common isolates were Pseudomonas aeruginosa (19.1%) Staphylococcus aureus (9.7%), Proteus mirabilis (7.6%) and Escherichia coil (7.3%). There were widespread resistances by the isolates to the common antibiotics in the study environment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The wide spread resistance may be due to lack of an antibiotic use policy. Certain antibiotics should be reserved for second line treatment in the emergency setting
authors.affiliation: Burns and Plastic Surgery Unit, Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, Lagos State University (LASUCOM)/Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Nigeria. idfad@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Idowu Olusegun
authors.initials: IO
authors.lastname: Fadeyibi
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, LASUCOM/LASUTH, Ikeja-Lagos, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Muhabat Adeola
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Raji
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, LASUCOM/LASUTH, Ikeja-Lagos, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Nasiru Akanmu
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Ibrahim
authors.affiliation: Burns and Plastic Surgery Unit, Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, Lagos State University (LASUCOM)/Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Nigeria.
authors.forename: Samuel
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ademiluyi
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D024901:Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial; D005260:Female; D006088:Gram-Negative Aerobic Bacteria / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006094:Gram-Positive Bacteria / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006784:Hospitals, Teaching; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009549:Nigeria / Q000453:epidemiology; D014456:Ulcer / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents