Microorganisms Implicated in Common Pressure Ulcers among Geriatric Patients Attending a Teaching Hospital in Southeastern Nigeria

Abstract

Pressure ulcers, otherwise known as bedsores, are complex wounds that are frequently complicated by infection and result from prolonged pressure, either alone or in combination with shear or friction. Bedsores are a major cause of morbidity among geriatric populations, particularly those with limited mobility, chronic illness, or long-term hospitalisation. This study aimed to determine the microorganisms implicated in common pressure ulcers among geriatric patients attending a teaching hospital in Southeastern Nigeria. Eighty swab specimens were carefully and aseptically collected from geriatric patients attending Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital, Awka, Southeastern Nigeria. Specimens were collected after ethical approval had been obtained from the hospital’s ethics committee. Plates of blood agar, mannitol salt agar, nutrient agar supplemented with nystatin (300,000 μg/mL) and Sabouraud’s dextrose agar supplemented with chloramphenicol (50 μg/mL) were inoculated using the spread plate method and incubated aerobically at 25 °C for 48–72 h. The isolates were identified based on their morphological, physiological, biochemical and molecular characteristics. Of the 100 isolates recovered from the 80 swab specimens analysed, 38% were bacterial species, including Staphylococcus sciuri (strain LysM5) 10 isolates (26.32%), Enterobacter pseudoroggenkampii (strain C2TS9) 7 (18.42%), Staphylococcus arlettae (strain JCR-6) 12 (31.58%) and Proteus mirabilis (strain A8FtNRM1) 9 (23.68%); whereas 62% were yeast species, including Candida tropicalis (strain SDG09) 22 (35.48%), Meyerozyma guilliermondii (strain L11-2) 15 (24.19%), Pichia manshurica (strain CBS 11610) 13 (20.97%), Pichia kudriavzevii formerly Candida krusei strain SB3, 7 (11.29%), and strain ITD-2MA-9413, 5 (8.06%). All bacterial isolates were α-haemolytic. The study revealed the heterogeneous polymicrobial nature of pressure ulcers, highlighting the need for substantial improvements in patient care and management of decubitus ulcers, especially among geriatric patients.