Bacterial Isolates and Their Antimicrobial Susceptibility Profile in Osteomyelitis Patients: An Experience From a Tertiary Care Center in a Hilly Area of Uttarakhand

Osteomyelitis, an infection related to bone and bone marrow, is very diverse in its pathophysiology and clinical presentation; hence, it is considered one of the most difficult-to-treat infections. The present study is aimed at assessing the microbiological profile of osteomyelitis and related antimicrobial susceptibility patterns in patients attending a tertiary care center in Uttarakhand, India, over a period of one year (January to December 2019). In aerobic culture, 58/105 (55.2%) bacterial isolates were detected. In addition, Staphylococcus aureus was the most common isolate, and amongst Gram-negative bacilli, most isolates that grew on culture were Escherichia coli (22.4%). Out of 21 S. aureus isolates, methicillin resistance was detected in nine [9/21 (42%)] cases, which is a matter of concern. Hence, proper training and application of antimicrobial stewardship are the need of the hour so that clinicians can initiate targeted therapy as early as possible.