Anaerobic bacteria in clinical infections.

Abstract The findings of 275 cultures from routine clinical specimens obtained from lesions in different sites of body, during a period of 11 months, are presented. The clinical specimens were obtained from surgical wounds, abdominal infections, orthopaedic operations, biliary tract infections and pleuropulmonary infections. The total number of positive cultures including both aerobes and anaerobes was 203 out of 275 (73·8%). Of the 38 cultures positive for anaerobes, 29 (76·3%) grew both aerobic and anaerobic bacteria, while in nine (23·7%) cultures only anaerobes were found. A total of 42 strains of anaerobic bacteria were isolated. The majority of them were found in clinical specimens obtained from abdominal infections (62%), while a low percentage (3·6%) was found in specimens from orthopaedic operations. Strains belonging to the genus Bacteroides were the most frequently isolated anaerobes, accounting for 35·7% of the total, followed by Clostridia 28·5%, Peptostreptococci 23·8% and Prevotella 12%.