RT Journal
A1 Finegold SM
T1 ANaerobic infections
JF Archives of Internal Medicine
JO Archives of Internal Medicine
YR 1979
FD February 1
VO 139
IS 2
SP 144
OP 145
DO 10.1001/archinte.1979.03630390010006
UL http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/archinte.1979.03630390010006
AB The article by Warner et al in this issue (p 167) raises a number of important considerations. The significance of Bacteroides fragilis as a pathogen is emphasized by this report. This organism is the anaerobe most commonly encountered in clinical infections and is often resistant to a number of antimicrobial agents that may be active against other anaerobes, including the penicillins, the cephalosporins, the tetracyclines, and erythromycin.1 It produces one or more β-lactamases2 that account for its resistance to most currently marketed penicillins and cephalosporins. This enzyme is particularly active against cephalosporins and may account for more resistance clinically than would be anticipated from in vitro susceptibility studies. The poorer prognosis of female genital tract infections involving B fragilis has been noted.3 It has been generally felt that B fragilis is involved only rarely in biliary tract infection, although some studies indicate that it is found with