Prevalence and Antimicrobial Resistance of Gram-Negative Bacilli Causing Wound Infections in Cardiac Surgery Patients at a Syrian Tertiary Care Hospital

The intricate and invasive nature of cardiac surgeries predisposes patients to heightened risks of postoperative infections. The emergence of infections with gram-negative bacilli complicates therapeutic regimens, thereby elevating morbidity and mortality. This study investigates the presence of MDR gram-negative bacilli in post-surgical wound infections among cardiac surgery patients to develop targeted treatment protocols for mitigating these infections. The study encompassed ten patients exhibiting signs of wound infection post-surgery, from whom swab samples were collected at the infection sites. These samples were processed to isolate, identify, and ascertain the antibiotic susceptibility of the bacterial strains using established microbiological techniques. The findings revealed that all samples contained MDR gram-negative bacilli, with Klebsiellapneumonia being the most prevalent at 63.6%, followed by Enterobacter and Escherichia coli. These isolates demonstrated extensive resistance to several commonly used antibiotics, with only a limited number remaining efficacious. This study underscores the significant presence of antibiotic resistance in cardiac surgical settings, presenting a severe public health concern. It necessitates continuous surveillance and implementing preventative strategies, including the judicious use of antibiotics, to control these resistant strains and reduce their spread.