title: Streptococcus mitis. A cause of serious infection in adults.
abstract: Twenty strains of Streptococcus mitis were isolated from blood or body fluids at the Cleveland Veterans Administration Medical Center from Jan 1, 1981, to April 30, 1984. Fifteen (75%) isolates were considered contaminants. Five (25%) were clinically important and associated with a serious infection of the oropharynx or gastrointestinal tract (three of five), endovascular system (one of five), or a prosthetic hip. Four of five patients required surgical intervention for treatment. Two of five died; one death was directly attributable to S mitis infection. Eighteen strains were available for detailed bacteriologic study. Three strains had a minimum inhibitory concentration of greater than 0.1 micrograms/mL of penicillin and six other strains were tolerant to penicillin. This review suggests that S mitis can be an important pathogen in adults and may cause infections other than endocarditis.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D003911:Dextrans / Q000096:biosynthesis; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D013290:Streptococcal Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D013291:Streptococcus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D003911:Dextrans