Causative Pathogens in Surgical Drain Infections and Antibiotic Resistance Profiles of These Pathogens: Growing Frequency of Resistance Among the Enterobacteriaceae Family

Introduction Surgical drain infections (SDIs) and antibiotic resistance profiles of these infectious pathogens are the issues that need to be emphasized. This study aimed to identify microorganisms isolated from drain cultures and determine antibiotic resistance rates among these microorganisms. Materials and methods The drain culture results of patients analyzed between January 2008 and January 2020 were included in the study. Data such as microorganisms grown in drain cultures, antibiotic resistance rates, and demographic information of patients were evaluated. Results Three hundred forty-six isolates were analyzed from the drain cultures of 279 patients. The mean age of the patients was 62.82 ± 17.77 years. Polymicrobial growth was detected in samples from 49 (18%) patients. The most frequently isolated microorganisms were pathogens belonging to the Enterobacteriaceae family (44%) and to Staphylococcus species (spp.) (20%). As shown by our results, the frequency of Staphylococcus spp. decreased in the last four years, whereas the frequency of Enterococcus increased. In terms of drug resistance, the highest rate of resistance among the isolates was to ampicillin (Enterobacteriaceae family), followed by gentamicin (Acinetobacter species.), cefepime (Pseudomonas spp.), penicillin (Staphylococcus spp.), and ciprofloxacin (Enterococcus spp.). In the Enterobacteriaceae family, 49% of the isolates were resistant to extended-spectrum beta-lactamases, and 17% were resistant to carbapenems. Methicillin resistance was detected in 55% of Staphylococcus aureus, and vancomycin resistance was found in 11% of Enterococcus. Conclusions In drain cultures for SDIs, information on the causative pathogens, in addition to the antibiotic resistance rates of these pathogens, is needed to initiate appropriate empirical treatment.