Quantitation of bacteria in clean, nonhealing, chronic wounds

Quantitative swabs were obtained from 30 clean, chronic wounds on 30 different patients during one visit. The number of organisms and the predominant organism were determined. All samples were processed under both aerobic and anaerobic conditions. Nineteen (63%) of the 30 clean wounds had bacterial levels that were ≥ 105 cfu/cm2. There was no correlation between ≥ 105 cfu/cm2 and delayed wound healing. The most frequently isolated predominant organism was Staphylococcus aureus. In these clean, chronic wounds, an obligate anaerobic organism was identified as predominant or co-predominant in only 2 (6.7%) of 30 wounds.