EUBACTERIAL APPROACH TO THE DIAGNOSIS OF BACTERIAL-INFECTION

Computed tomography revealed a frontal empyema in an 8 month old boy w ho presented with a prolonged convulsion. Before admission he had rece ived oral antibiotics and all specimens were negative on culture. The presence of bacteria in cerebrospinal and empyema fluid was demonstrat ed using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with 16S rRNA gene primer s. A presumptive identification of Streptococcus pneumoniae was made b y comparison of PCR products with those derived from known bacteria us ing denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis.