Practical method for isolation of anerobic bacteria in the clinical laboratory.

An inexpensive but practical and simple method is described for providing an environment suitable for the maintenance and survival of clinically significant anaerobic bacteria, consistent with the needs of a large-volume laboratory. This modification of the GasPak procedure is based on two concepts. One involved the storage of "freshly prepared" plating medium under a constant stream of carbon dioxide. The other concept was to use an anaerobe jar, continuously flushed with oxygen-free carbon dioxide, as a "holding receptacle" for the inoculated media Experience with this modification has shown that the number of isolations of anaerobic bacteria from clinical material can be increased significantly.