Foot infections in diabetics: the antibiotic choice

The authors studied 59 diabetics with foot infections to determine the organisms responsible and the sensitivity to antibiotics. All infections were polymicrobial (aerobic and anaerobic). On average 3.2 isolates per culture were obtained from the depth of the infection. The commonest organisms in order of frequency were: Staphylococcus aureus, beta-hemolytic streptococci, Proteus sp., Bacteroides sp., enterococci, Klebsiella sp. and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. A combination of piperacillin and cloxacillin is recommended as initial therapy for foot infections in diabetic patients because it was found to be effective for 73% of the causative microorganisms.