1. Wstęp. 2. Diagnostyka laboratoryjna beztlenowych pałeczek Gram-ujemnych. 3. Znaczenie kliniczne beztlenowych pałeczek Gram-ujemnych. 4. Podsumowanie

Abstract: Among the broad spectrum of anaerobic bacteria constituting the normal flora of humans, some exhibit pathogenic potential and are responsible for serious infections. Gram-negative anaerobic rods belonging to the genera Bacteroides, Parabacteroides, Prevotella, Fusobacterium and Porphyromonas represent the most common cause of endogenous, usually mixed, infections. Anaerobes are important pathogens causing infections after abdominal or gynecologic surgery, oral-cavity infections and other infections originating from the mouth or abdomen. The virulence of different species depends on the combination of bacterial properties, including surface structures, metabolic functions, the ability to avoid the host’s defenses and the capacity to damage tissues. Special laboratory procedures are needed for the isolation and identification of this diverse group of bacteria. The identification to the species level, if based on phenotypic features, is often time-consuming and not always easy to carry out. Some molecular methods may help in the everyday clinical microbiological practice in laboratories dealing with the diagnostics of anaerobic infections. The taxonomy of the anaerobic bacteria is in a state of continuous change, due to the constant addition of new species and the reclassification of the old ones.

1. Introduction. 2. Laboratory diagnostics of Gram-negative anaerobic rods. 3. Clinical significance of Gram-negative anaerobic rods. 4. Summary