Quantitative Studies of the Bacterial Flora of Open Skin Wounds

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Abstract
Thirty-seven granulating wounds of various sizes, types and locations were populated with a wide variety of organisms including hemolytic and non-hemolytic Staphylococcus, Streptococcus, and several of the gram-negative bacilli. Forty-six per cent of the lesions were infected with a single bacterial species, slightly more than half of which were non-hemolytic Staphylococcus. No pre-treatment cultures grew more than 3 bacterial species. Total application of an antibiotic combination containing polymyxin B, neo-mycin and bacitracin was highly effective in eliminating bacterial infection due to a wide variety of organisms. Bacterial overgrowth of resistant organisms did not occur during a 10-day period of treatment. Wounds treated topically with the antibiotic preparation appeared significantly cleaner and healthier than wounds treated with the aerosol propellant alone although a statistical difference was not seen between the rate of healing in wounds treated with the antibiotic combination and those treated with the aerosol propellant alone.