RT Journal
A1 Bourgault A, England DM, Rosenblatt JE, Forgacs P, Bieger R
T1 CLinical characteristics of anaerobic bactibilia
JF Archives of Internal Medicine
JO Archives of Internal Medicine
YR 1979
FD December 1
VO 139
IS 12
SP 1346
OP 1349
DO 10.1001/archinte.1979.03630490016008
UL http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/archinte.1979.03630490016008
AB During a two-year period, 1,892 patients underwent biliary tract surgery at the Mayo Clinic. Both aerobic and anaerobic bile cultures were performed in 371 patients and 253 of these were positive. Anaerobes were isolated from 100 patients, although only twice in pure culture. Only aerobes grew from cultures from 153 patients. One hundred cases of biliary tract infections involving anaerobes and an equal number involving aerobes only were reviewed in order to determine their clinical characteristics. Prominent features of anaerobic bactibilia included (1) a history of complex, multiple, biliary tract surgeries often involving biliary-intestinal anastomoses and common bile duct manipulation, (2) severe symptoms, (3) high incidence of postoperative infectious complications, especially wound infections. Further analysis of anaerobic biliary infections suggested that Bacteroides fragilis was more often associated with serious pathologic conditions of the biliary tract than was Clostridium.(Arch Intern Med 139:1346-1349, 1979)