Aerobic and anaerobic microbiology in intraabdominal infections associatedwith diverticulitis

The aerobic and anaerobic microbiology of intra-abdominal infections associ ated with diverticulitis was studied in 110 specimens from the peritoneal c avity after intestinal perforation and in 22 specimens from abdominal absce sses, Anaerobic bacteria only were isolated from 17 (15%) of the peritoneal specimens, aerobic bacteria only from 12 (11%) and mixed aerobic and anaer obic flora from 81 (74%), A total of 339 bacterial isolates was detected in peritoneal cultures (3.1 per specimen), comprising 155 aerobes (1.4 per sp ecimen) and 184 anaerobes (1.7 per specimen), Anaerobic bacteria only were isolated in 4 (18%) abscesses, aerobes alone in one (5%) and mixed aerobic and anaerobic flora in 17 (77%), A total of 72 bacterial isolates (3.3 per specimen) was detected in abdominal abscesses - 35 aerobes (1.6 per specime n) and 37 aerobes (1.7 per specimen), The predominant aerobic and facultati ve bacteria in abdominal infections were Escherichia coli and Streptococcus spp, The most frequently isolated anaerobes were Bacteroides spp, (B, frag ilis group), Peptostreptococcus, Clostridium and Fusobacterium spp.