Microbial isolates and antibiogram from endocervical swabs of patients with pelvic inflammatory disease

The study was aimed at determining the microorganisms isolated commonly from endocervical swab cultures of patients with suspected pelvic inflammatory disease and their in vivo antibiotic sensitivity patterns. All records of microbial culture and antibiotic sensitivity test results of suspected cases of pelvic inflammatory disease at the Federal Medical Centre Gombe from January to June 2001 were retrieved and analysed using the SPSS statistical package. Four hundred and thirteen endocervical swabs were cultured, with bacteria and/or fungal pathogens isolated in 312 (75.5%) cases. There were seven microbial organisms isolated with Staphylococcus aureus as the most commonly isolated organism in 45% (142/312) of cases. Mixed growth occurred in 46 cases (11.1% of cases), mostly bacterio-fungal 34/46 (73.9%). Only seven antibiotic disks were used in testing for sensitivity of the isolated bacteria. Cephalexin and gentamicin were the only antibiotics with a > 50% sensitivity rate of 88% and 56.9%, respectively. Co-trimoxazole, penicillin and tetracycline were the most frequently resistant antibiotics with 98.4%, 97.6% and 90.8% resistance rates, respectively. It is clear that the facilities both for isolating organisms and testing for their antibiotic sensitivity pattern are limited in developing countries, despite the well-known complications associated with pelvic inflammatory disease. This would make empirical antibiotic chemotherapy common, thus confounding further the problem of management. This may be overcome by establishing well-manned and equipped regional centres that could advise other centres of trends in pattern of isolates and antibiograms.