ABSTRACT
The perception that anaerobes have little or no role in many infections originates from the fact that many past studies did not attempt to identify such a role or used improper methods for collecting specimens for anaerobes. Therefore it is essential to assess studies carefully for methodologic properties before judging their ability to determine the role of anaerobes in an infectious process. Multiple examples of differences in the rate of recovery of anaerobic bacteria between studies that used proper techniques and those that used improper techniques can be found.
