BACTEREMIA OWING TO GRAM-NEGATIVE BACILLI: EXPERIENCES IN THE TREATMENT OF 137 PATIENTS IN A 15-YEAR PERIOD

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Abstract
The most common Gram-negative bacillus to invade the blood stream is Escherichia coli, E. coli and Aerobacter aerogenes, considered together as the "coli-aerogenes group," were the invaders in 100 of the 137 cases of bacteremia due to Gram-negative bacilli in the present series. The site of origin of the bacteremia was the genitourinary tract in 60% of the cases and the gastrointestinal tract in 25%. In about 50% of the cases an operative procedure immediately preceded the infection; in about 1/3 of the cases associated with surgical procedures the operation had been on the gastrointestinal tract, and in about 2/3 it had been on the genitourinary tract. Treatment with 1 of the tetracycline group of compounds combined with streptomycin was highly efficacious, except when the causative organism was Pseudomonas aeruginosa. In bacteremia due to Pseudomonas organisms, use of polymyxin B appears justifiable.