title: Fulminant necrotising enterocolitis associated with Clostridia.
abstract: 5 infants with no growth of bacteria on cultures of blood and peritoneal fluid recovered from necrotising enterocolitis after medical treatment alone. 12 infants with positive cultures required surgery. 5 of these 12, who did not harbour clostridia, had a mild clinical course and all 5 survived segmental bowel resection. The 7 infants who harboured clostridia had a more severe clinical course and 4 died. In 3 of 4 infants with Clostridium perfringens, the necrotising enterocolitis was fulminant, characterised by severe pneumatosis intestinalis, extensive gangrene, early intestinal perforation, and a fatal outcome.
mesh_terms: D001202:Ascitic Fluid / Q000382:microbiology; D003013:Clostridium / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity; D003015:Clostridium Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000382:microbiology*; D003016:Clostridium perfringens / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity; D004761:Enterocolitis, Pseudomembranous / Q000150:complications / Q000382:microbiology*; D005734:Gangrene; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007232:Infant, Newborn, Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000382:microbiology*; D007416:Intestinal Perforation / Q000209:etiology; D007422:Intestines / Q000382:microbiology; D008297:Male; D011006:Pneumatosis Cystoides Intestinalis / Q000209:etiology; D014774:Virulence