ABSTRACT
It has been well established for many years that anaerobic bacteria can cause medically significant infections [1]. The earliest medical writers have described the distinctive clinical features of tetanus, gas gangrene, and other anaerobic infections. With the discovery of antibiotics and the introduction of agents such as penicillin for prophylaxis and treatment, the incidence of anaerobic infections decreased. Historically, anaerobic infections were treated with antibiotics empirically, so there was little need for routine susceptibility testing. However, with the emergence of the “superbugs” that are resistant to many antimicrobial agents, it is becoming harder to predict the susceptibility of many bacterial species. Although antibiotic resistance in anaerobic bacteria has been increasing, physicians could still choose antibiotics for anaerobic infections empirically from surveillance studies reported in the literature or from data obtained in their own institutions [2]. It is presently much more difficult to predict anaerobe susceptibility patterns based on the literature. An example of this is a report of the antibiograms of anaerobic bacteria from several different hospitals within one metropolitan area. The results of this study showed that there were dramatically different antibiograms between the hospitals and that resistance was based on the use of specific agents at that institution [3].
