Participation of strictly anerobic bacteria in infections among hospitalized transplant patients in a clinical hospital in Warsaw.

BACKGROUND

Many strictly anerobic bacteria are a part of the human commensal microflora. Especially multitudinously they inhabit the skin, mucous membranes, gastrointestinal tract, respiratory, and genital tracts. Infections with these bacteria may occur after escape of the bacteria from their natural habitat. There are often mixed anerobic and aerobic infections. After rupture of the gastrointestinal tract or surgery, the organisms can cause significant pathology including abscesses and bacteremia.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of gram-negative strictly anerobic bacteria isolated from different samples collected from patients on transplant wards.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Samples from patients with suspected infections. Underwent isolation and identification of microorganisms under anerobic conditions using standard laboratory methods.

RESULTS

Gram-negative rods were observed in 46% of clinical samples, most frequently Bacteroides genus as well as Fusobacterium necrophorum/F.nucleatum and F.mortiferum (14%). Most species of the genus Bacteroides were accompanied by Escherichia coli, less frequently with other aerobic gram-negative rods or gram-positive cocci.

CONCLUSION

Gram-negative bacteria were frequently isolated in the samples. Because they are the part of the normal flora, this observation indicated the endogenous nature of infections resulting from bacterial translocation out of their natural habitat.