AMR bacteria in diabetic foot ulcers
Research type
Research Study
Full title
A pilot study to investigate the association between antibiotic use and incidence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in DFU
IRAS ID
193886
Contact name
Jane Lewis
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Cardiff Metropolitan University
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 0 months, 0 days
Research summary
A feasibility/pilot study to investigate the relationship between antibiotic use and the incidence of two representative bacteria in antibiotic resistance in diabetic foot ulcers.
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is now recognised globally as one of the major threats to human health, resulting in the UK government putting a 5 year plan in place to help deal with AMR. AMR impacts in many ways including: inability of previously effective antibiotics to control infections, increased mortality, increased morbidity and, decreased patient wellbeing and increased healthcare costs. As diabetic patients frequently present with infected foot ulcers they are a group at higher risk of being affected by AMR and we aim to explore the link between antibiotic use and microbial flora in DFU. Convenience sampling of participants from local NHS diabetic foot wound clinics will take place over a 6 month period. Volunteers will be divided into two groups depending on whether they present with first infected foot (Group ONE) or with recurring infected foot wounds (Group TWO). History of previous antibiotic therapy will be ascertained from Podiatry notes and from information provided by the participant's GP. Each participant's wound will be swabbed and bacterial flora analysed by the microbiologist for the presence of representative Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria, such as methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus and ciprofloxacin resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The data collected will be analysed to determine whether the presence of these resistant bacteria is linked to the antibiotic treatment these patients have received in the past and whether the level of antibiotic treatment received impacts on the diversity of microbes detected within the ulcers.
REC name
North East - Tyne & Wear South Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
16/NE/0018
Date of REC Opinion
4 Feb 2016
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion