Isolation and Laboratory Diagnosis of Antibiotic-resistant E. coli from Surgical Wounds of Inpatients at Zagazig University Hospitals, Egypt

E. coli is one of the most common community and nosocomial pathogens and it mainly causes skin and soft tissue infections. So, the current study aimed to study the isolation of antibiotic-resistant E.coli strains in Egypt, Hospitals. Study their antibiotic susceptibility profile and therapy to control and present the transmission of E. coli strains among the health care settings.120 pus samples were collected from post-operation wounds of a study group of inpatients in Egypt, Hospitals. Bacteria colonizing the wounds were isolated on specific culture media thereafter purified and divided into 4 groups depending on their morphological characters and Gram's stain reaction Isolated bacteria were divided into 4 groups. Group (I) represented 40% of total isolates; while group (II) & (III) represented 25% and group (IV) 22%. Isolated bacteria related to groups I, II, III & IV were preliminary identified as S. aureus. E. coli, K. pneumoniae and P. aeruginosa, respectively. Antibiotic susceptibility of the 4 groups of isolated bacteria against 10 different antibiotics revealed that Ciprofloxacin showed the highest activity against E. coli. Data revealed that strain encoded E.coli 6 is a multi-resistant strain as it resisted 13 antibiotics out of 15 (86.7%).