title: Identification of oral bacteria in blood cultures by conventional versus molecular methods.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to compare two different methods of identifying oral bacteria from blood samples after dental extractions.
  
  
  METHODS
  Blood cultures were taken before, during, and after a single tooth extraction in 30 subjects and cultured using aerobic and anaerobic Bactec media. Positive cultures from 22 subjects were subcultured on selective and nonselective media, resulting in 58 isolates. Bacterial identification was performed by biochemical analysis and sequence analysis of 16S rRNA gene.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 58 isolates, only 10 (17%) were the same species by both methods. Thirty-two (55%) belonged to the same genus but different species, and 16 (28%) showed no correlation at all. There were 31 and 40 diverse species by the biochemical and the sequencing methods, respectively. Streptococci were the dominant species.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  DNA sequencing results in more accurate identification and a more diverse population of bacteria from bacteremia following dental extractions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Medicine, Carolinas Medical Center, Charlotte, NC 28232, USA.
authors.forename: Farah K
authors.initials: FK
authors.lastname: Bahrani-Mougeot
authors.forename: Bruce J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Paster
authors.forename: Shirley
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Coleman
authors.forename: Jignya
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ashar
authors.forename: Sue
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Knost
authors.forename: Robert L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Sautter
authors.forename: Peter B
authors.initials: PB
authors.lastname: Lockhart
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016470:Bacteremia / Q000097:blood* / Q000209:etiology; D001419:Bacteria / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D009055:Mouth / Q000382:microbiology*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D014081:Tooth Extraction / Q000009:adverse effects*
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S