War impact on antimicrobial resistance and bacteriological profile of wound infections in Ukraine

Infections and antimicrobial resistance are among the main public health issues in the countries affected by war. This study evaluates war's impact on wound microbiome and antimicrobial resistance distribution among patients treated in Ukrainian civilian hospitals. The patients with combat wounds were treated in the civilian hospitals located in the Northeast of Ukraine from January to April 2024. The wound samples were examined. The isolated microorganisms were identified with further investigation of antimicrobial resistance profiles. Here we show the data obtained from the examination of seventy-three wounded soldiers. Wound infections are associated with severe trauma and the middle age of patients. Bacteria were isolated in 56.16% samples with a predominance of gram-negative bacilli. The most frequent isolates are A. baumannii (36%), E. faecalis (12%), and B. cereus (12%). The frequency of multidrug resistance is 84.6%. Each isolated species has a certain sensitivity profile to antibiotics. The number of multidrug-resistant strains among gram-negative bacteria is higher than among gram-positive ones. This study shows the dominance of gram-negative bacilli in military personnel with a higher frequency of multidrug-resistant isolates. These complicate the healing process and promote the spread of multidrug-resistant strains within healthcare settings. Healing of wound infections remains a difficult challenge in countries affected by war. This study aims to investigate war's impact on the profile of the wound pathogen (what causes infection) and its how well it can be treated by antibiotics. The microbial composition of the wound in combatants was examined. We found concerning infections in many fighting in Ukraine and some were resistant to several groups of antibiotics. These microbes complicate combatant wound healing and could be a threat to civilians. Holubnycha and Kholodylo examine wars impact on infection in Ukraine. They demonstrate the high prevalence of antimicrobial resistance and emphasize the importance of implementing IPC standards at all levels of healthcare provision.