TY - CHAP M1 - Book, Section TI - INFECTIONS DUE TO MIXED ANAEROBIC ORGANISMS A1 - Cohen-Poradosu, Ronit A1 - Kasper, Dennis L. A2 - Kasper, Dennis L. A2 - Fauci, Anthony S. Y1 - 2017 N1 - T2 - Harrison's Infectious Diseases, 3e AB - Anaerobes comprise the predominant class of bacteria of the normal human microbiota (formerly termed “the normal human flora”) that reside on mucous membranes and predominate in many infectious processes, particularly those arising from mucosal surfaces. These organisms generally cause disease subsequent to the breakdown of mucosal barriers and the leakage of the microbiota into normally sterile sites. Infections resulting from contamination by the microbiota are usually polymicrobial and involve both aerobic and anaerobic bacteria. However, the difficulties encountered in handling specimens in which anaerobes may be important and the technical challenges entailed in cultivating and identifying these organisms in clinical microbiology laboratories continue to leave the anaerobic etiology of an infectious process unproven in many cases. Therefore, an understanding of the types of infections in which anaerobes can play a role is crucial in selecting appropriate microbiologic tools to identify the organisms in clinical specimens and in choosing the most appropriate treatment, including antibiotics and surgical drainage or debridement of the infected site. SN - PB - McGraw-Hill Education CY - New York, NY Y2 - 2024/04/19 UR - accessbiomedicalscience.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?aid=1141409381 ER -