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Bacterial spectrum and antimicrobial susceptibility categories of wound, tissue biopsy and pus culture isolates in hospitalized patients in Northern Cyprus: a retrospective laboratory-based Short Report
Zainab Bashar Abdulkader , Havva Cobanogullari , Yakup Cem Yababa , Gamze Mocan , Esref Celik *
Near East University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, Nicosia, Northern Cyprus
Abstract:   (2 Views)
Introduction: Skin and soft tissue infections (SSTIs) in hospitalized patients require local microbiological surveillance as empirical therapy is increasingly challenged by antimicrobial resistance. This study describes the bacterial spectrum and antimicrobial susceptibility categories of isolates recovered from wound, tissue biopsy, and pus cultures in Northern Cyprus. Methods: A retrospective laboratory-based analysis was conducted using 1,592 bacterial isolates recovered between January and December 2024. Identification and antimicrobial susceptibility testing were performed using routine culture, Gram staining, biochemical testing and the BD Phoenix automated system. Results were interpreted according to EUCAST version 14.0 breakpoints. Categorical variables were summarized as frequencies and percentages. The association between laboratory-recorded extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) status and antimicrobial susceptibility category was evaluated using Pearson’s chi-square test after verification that all expected cell counts exceeded 5; Cramér’s V was calculated as the effect-size measure. Organism-specific susceptibility patterns were summarized descriptively because the expected-cell-count assumption was not satisfied. Results: The most frequently isolated microorganisms were Klebsiella pneumoniae subsp. pneumoniae (24.2%), Staphylococcus aureus (16.7%), Escherichia coli (14.4%), Proteus mirabilis (10.7%) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (10.2%). Overall, 937 isolates (58.9%) were categorized as susceptible (S), 65 (4.1%) as susceptible, increased exposure (I), and 590 (37.1%) as resistant (R). Laboratory-recorded ESBL-positive isolates were more frequently categorized as resistant than ESBL-negative isolates (70.5% vs 24.9%; χ²(2) = 280.284; P < 0.001; Cramér’s V = 0.420; minimum expected count = 17.31). Conclusions: Among the most frequently isolated microorganisms, Proteus mirabilis and Klebsiella pneumoniae subsp. pneumoniae showed the highest resistance proportions. Because agent-specific susceptibility data were unavailable, the findings do not support recommendations for particular antimicrobial classes; they instead support improved local, agent-specific surveillance.

 
Keywords: Wound Infection, Soft Tissue Infections, Drug Resistance, Microbial, Microbial Sensitivity Tests, Klebsiella pneumoniae
     
Type of Study: Original article | Subject: Anti-microbial agents, resistance and treatment protocols
Received: 2026/05/30 | Accepted: 2026/09/10
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Creative Commons License This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.