title: Anaerobic bacteria in 118 patients with deep-space head and neck infections from the University Hospital of Maxillofacial Surgery, Sofia, Bulgaria.
abstract: The aim of this study was to assess the incidence and susceptibility to antibacterial agents of anaerobic strains in 118 patients with head and neck abscesses (31) and cellulitis (87). Odontogenic infection was the most common identified source, occurring in 73 (77.7%) of 94 patients. The incidence of anaerobes in abscesses and cellulitis was 71 and 75.9%, respectively, and that in patients before (31 patients) and after (87) the start of empirical treatment was 80.6 and 72.4%, respectively. The detection rates of anaerobes in patients with odontogenic and other sources of infection were 82.2 and 71.4%, respectively. In total, 174 anaerobic strains were found. The predominant bacteria were Prevotella (49 strains), Fusobacterium species (22), Actinomyces spp. (21), anaerobic cocci (20) and Eubacterium spp. (18). Bacteroides fragilis strains were isolated from 7 (5.9%) specimens. The detection rate of Fusobacterium strains from non-treated patients (32.2%) was higher than that from treated patients (13.8%). Resistance rates to clindamycin and metronidazole of Gram-negative anaerobes were 5.4 and 2.5%, respectively, and those of Gram-positive species were 4.5 and 58.3%, respectively. One Prevotella strain was intermediately susceptible to ampicillin/sulbactam. In conclusion, the start of empirical treatment could influence the frequency or rate of isolation of Fusobacterium species. The involvement of the Bacteroides fragilis group in some head and neck infections should be considered.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Medical University of Sofia, Zdrave Street 2, 1431 Sofia, Bulgaria.
authors.forename: Lyudmila
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Boyanova
authors.affiliation: University Hospital of Maxillofacial Surgery, Sofia, Bulgaria.
authors.forename: Rossen
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kolarov
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Medical University of Sofia, Zdrave Street 2, 1431 Sofia, Bulgaria.
authors.forename: Galina
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gergova
authors.affiliation: University Hospital of Maxillofacial Surgery, Sofia, Bulgaria.
authors.forename: Elitsa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Deliverska
authors.affiliation: University Hospital of Maxillofacial Surgery, Sofia, Bulgaria.
authors.forename: Jivko
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Madjarov
authors.affiliation: University Hospital of Maxillofacial Surgery, Sofia, Bulgaria.
authors.forename: Milen
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Marinov
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Medical University of Sofia, Zdrave Street 2, 1431 Sofia, Bulgaria.
authors.forename: Ivan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Mitov
mesh_terms: D000038:Abscess / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D001421:Bacteria, Anaerobic / Q000145:classification / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D002031:Bulgaria; D002481:Cellulitis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology*; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial; D005260:Female; D006257:Head; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D009333:Neck; D014076:Tooth Diseases / Q000150:complications
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents