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Background: Superficial soft tissue abscesses (SSTAs) constitute a considerable proportion of the pediatric surgeon’s workload. SSTAs are abscesses involving skin, subcutaneous tissues, muscles superficial to bones, and deep body cavities such as pleural and peritoneal cavities. However, scientific publications assessing patterns of presentation in children, identifying the common bacterial etiological agents, and calculating multiple antibiotic resistance (MAR) index of positive abscess culture results in our environment are not common. Aims and Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine the pattern of presentation of SSTAs in children in our environment, determine their common bacterial etiological agents, and calculate MAR index. Materials and Methods: An observational study was conducted on children with SSTA over a 21-month period at the Federal Medical Center, Umuahia, Abia State, Nigeria. All patients had incision and drainage, packing of cavity with gauze drain, and a sample of the pus sent for aerobic culture and sensitivity. MAR index was calculated for each positive isolate after sensitivity testing. Data were entered and analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software, version 20.0 (SPSS, Chicago, Illinois). Results were presented as mean values, ratios, percentages, and in tables. Results: There were 40 patients with 45 abscess sites: 22 males and 18 females aged 7 days to 14 years (median of 21 months). Symptom duration before presentation ranged from 2 to 14 days. The most common site of abscess was the lower limb (12 of 45, 26.7%). Blunt trauma was the most common predisposing factor to abscess formation (17 of 45, 38%). MAR index ranged from 0.25 to 1 with a mean of 0.49. Staphylococcus aureus was the most common organism grown in all positive cultures (23 of 25, 92%). Conclusion: In our environment, most SSTAs in children occur in the lower limbs; S. aureus is the most common etiological bacterial agent involved in SSTAs, and blunt trauma is the most prevalent predisposing factor in SSTAs. Mean MAR index is high in this study. |
