Clinical evaluation of a simple, rapid procedure for the presumptive identification of anaerobic bacteria

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Abstract
A simple, rapid procedure for the presumptive identification of anaerobic bacteria was evaluated. Clinical [human] isolates (235) were identified using GLC and 3-ml volumes of a few selected test media. These test media were stored aerobically and incubated in GasPak anaerobic jars. The average incubation time was 39 h. This procedure, when compared to the results of a standard identification procedure, correctly identified 98% of the isolates to the genus level, 83% to the species level and 83% of Bacteroides fragilis and B. melaninogenicus to the subspecies level. Of the isolates, 53 were also identified using 0.5-ml volumes of test media stored, inoculated and incubated in an anaerobic glove box. The 3 ml- and the 0.5 ml-volume procedures correctly identified comparable percentages of the 53 isolates. [Bacteroides spp., Fusobacterium sp., Propionibacterium spp., Bifidobacterium sp., Eubacterium spp., Actinomyces spp., Veillonella spp., Arachnia sp., Peptostreptococcus spp., Streptococcus spp., Peptococcus sp. and Clostridium spp. were identified.].