Objective-The aim of this multicentre prospective study was to analyse micr
obial pathogens cultured from an infected wound.
Methods-The study was performed in the emergency rooms of 10 public hospita
ls. All adult patients with a clinical diagnosis of cellulitis after a woun
d in the upper or lower extremities were included. Cultures were obtained w
ith swabs from infected lesions. Alicro-organisms cultured were identified
by the usual methods and susceptibility testing was performed.
Results-The study population consisted of 214 patients, 153 men and 61 wome
n, with a mean (SD) age of 40 (10) years. Wound cultures remained sterile i
n 28 cases and infected with micro-organisms in 186 cases. Of the 186 posit
ive cultures, three were not identified. Of the 183 remaining cultures, one
micro-organism was present in 132 patients (62%) and several micro-organis
ms in 51 patients (24%). A total of 248 micro-organisms were isolated in 18
3 patients. Staphylococcus and streptococcus were the most frequently isola
ted micro-organisms (56% and 21% respectively) followed by Gram negative ba
cilli (18%). Determination of the susceptibility to the antibiotics commonl
y used to treat wound infections showed resistance in some cases.
Conclusion-These results support the need always to take culture specimens
fi om infected wounds for microbiological evaluation and antibiotic suscept
ibility determination, so that adapted chemotherapy can be prescribed.