Table 2.
Baseline ulcer bioburden and ulcer outcomes after follow-up (N = 77)
| Mean (± SD) or n (%) | Median (range) | |
|---|---|---|
| Bioburden dimensions | ||
| Microbial load (total CFU/swab) | 1.0 × 106 (± 3.75 × 106) | 5.1 × 104 (0–2.7 × 107) |
| Microbial diversity (number of different species/swab) | 3.6 (± 2.37) | 3.0 (0–9.0) |
| Potential pathogens | ||
| Number (%) of ulcers with S. aureus | 28 (36.4) | |
| Number (%) of ulcers with MRSA | 8 (10.4) | |
| Number (%) of ulcers with proteobacteria | 27 (35.1) | |
| Number (%) of ulcers with β-hemolytic Streptococcus | 19 (24.7) | |
| Number (%) of ulcers with anaerobes | 15 (19.5) | |
| Ulcer outcomes | ||
| Rate of healing | ||
| Ulcers achieving complete closure/healing [n (%)] | 65 (84.4) | |
| Weeks to wound closure [mean (± SD)/median (range)] (n = 65) | 6.0 (± 4.81)/4.0 (1.9–25.9) | |
| Percent reduction in surface area/week [mean (± SD)/ median (range)] | 25.0 (± 19.46)/23.3 (−14.5 to 53.9) | |
| Developed infection-related complication [n (%)] | 5 (6.5) | |
| Wound deterioration [n (%)] | 4 (5.2) | |
| Osteomyelitis [n (%)] | 0 (0.0) | |
| Amputation [n (%)] | 1 (1.3) |
Six of the 77 subjects had no growth on culture plates. Therefore, the microbial load and microbial diversity for these subjects was 0. The mean and median for microbial load and microbial diversity were computed for the entire sample, including those with no growth. Therefore, the range includes 0 as the lower level.