RETROSPECTIVE STUDY COMPARING THE PATHOPHYSIOLOGY OF ANTIBIOTIC-TREATED AND UNTREATED ESCHERICHIA-COLI-INFUSED AND STAPHYLOCOCCUS-AUREUS-INFUSED BABOONS

Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus are the most common pathoge ns encountered in septic shock. This is a descriptive study in which t he pathophysiologic response to infusions of LD100 concentrations of E . coli and S. aureus are staged and compared. Equivalent concentration s of both organisms were infused over a 2 hr period into antibiotic-tr eated and untreated animals with the following results: 1) The apparen t clearance of E. coli was less than that of S. aureus over the 2-hr i nfusion period, but far greater during the next 8 hr in both antibioti c-treated and untreated animals. Thus the clearance of E. coli fits a one-compartment (intravascular), and that of S. aureus fits a two-comp artment (intra- and extravascular) model. 2) The intensity of the card iovascular, temperature, and metabolic response to E. coli was greater , whereas that of the disseminated intravascular coagulant (DIC) respo nse to S. aureus was greater. We conclude, therefore, that the respons e to E. coli consists of four stages with no invasion and colonization of tissues, whereas the response to S. aureus consists of two stages with invasion and colonization of tissues. (C) 1993 Wiley-Liss, Inc.