Microbiology of leg ulcers and microbiologic diagnosis of the infection

Of all the complications which can interfere with healing, infection is among those which have a greater impact not only on the wound but also on the patient's quality of life and on the costs of care. The author addresses the microbiology of leg ulcers, the problem of the qualitative versus quantitative analysis and the continuing debate regarding the indication for sampling wounds, methods and interpretation of the results in the microbiological diagnosis of wound infection.