Surgical Site Infection (SSI) has been difficult to manage due to bacterial resistance. The study aim was to determine multiple antibiotic resistance by bacterial pathogens from SSI. Purulent materials were aseptically collected from postsurgical in-patients (n = 64) and assessed for sensitivity to antibiotic of frequent use in the study area. A total of 80 bacterial isolates were obtained. Forty eight (75%) of the samples yielded monomicrobial growth while 16 (25%) yielded polymicrobial growth. Staphylococcus aureus was the predominant bacteria (25%); followed by Pseudomonas aeruginosa (20%), Escherichia coli (15%),Klebsiella oxytoca (10%), Proteus mirabilis (10%), Klebsiella aerogenes (5%),Coagulase-negative Staphylococcus (5%), Streptococcus pyogenes (5%) andProteus vulgaris (5%). The infection was most prevalent in the age group of 21 (65%), least prevalent in the age group of ‘41 years and above’ (5%); more in males (76.5%) than females. This was statistically significant (P<0.01). The results of the antibiotics susceptibility showed that the Gram-positive isolates were highly resistant to penicillin, cloxacillin, chloramphenicol and ampicillin but all except Staphylococcus aureus were highly sensitive (70 - 90%) to streptomycin and gentamycin and erythromycin. The Gram-negative isolates showed resistance (70 - 100%) to clotrimoxazole, ampicillin, streptomycin and tetracycline and moderately sensitive to nitrofurantoin, nalidixic acid, but highly sensitive to gentamycin and colistin except Klebsiella oxytoca and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The result showed that 56 (70%) of the isolates were multi drug resistant. This calls for abstinence from antibiotic abuse.

Key words: Multi drug resistant, susceptibility, isolates, surgical, wound.