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Biomedical subjects

R L Nichols

Publications and source records attributed to R L Nichols.

At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources

Intragastric microbial colonization in common disease states of the stomach and duodenum.

Forty-nine patients undergoing elective or emergent gastric surgery have been included in this study. Gastric needle aspiration was performed at the time of surgery in each case, followed by qualitative aerobic and anaerobic bacteriologic analysis. In 18 patients undergoing elective operation for chronic nonobstructing duodenal ulcer a gastric microflora was present in only three patients and no postoperative wound infections were observed. In 29 of 31 patients, in the other groups of patients with bleeding or obstructing duodenal ulcer or in those with gastric ulcer or malignancy, intragastric micro-organisms were present. Six of the 7 postoperative wound infections which developed in these groups of patients were due to one of the same bacteria isolated at the time of original needle aspiration. It appears that the endogenous intragastric microflora is a significant factor in the development of postoperative wound sepsis following gastric resection, in those groups of patients with a compromise of their normal gastric antibacterial inhibitory mechanisms.

Duodenal Ulcer↗

Role of the endogenous gastrointestinal microflora in postoperative wound sepsis.

Most infections following gastrointestinal surgery are caused by the escape of endogenous microorganisms at the time of operation. A thorough understanding of the gastrointestinal microflora in health and disease is essential to the intelligent treatment of postoperative septic complications. The oral flora found under certain circumstances in the proximal gastrointestinal tract is usually penicillin sensitive. Both aerobic and anaerobic resident microflora of the distal ileum and colon are penicillin resistant; therefore, other antibiotic agents must be prescribed for successful treatment of sepsis following resection of these organs.

Animals↗

Clinical aspects of anaerobic infections in the surgical patient.

Oxygen-sensitive anaerobic bacteria comprise the largest group of organisms among the human endogenous microflora. The oral cavity, vagina and colon are the areas where obligate anaerobes are predominant and can be isolated in very high numbers. Sepsis following surgery of any of these organs is frequently due to the escape of endogenous bacteria during the course of the operative procedure. To isolate and successfully identify most of these anaerobic microorganisms from clinical exudate, special collection and bacteriologic techniques are necessary. The acceptable anaerobic collection techniques mentioned above minimize exposure of the clinical specimen to atmospheric oxygen during collection and transfer. Clinical clues indicating anaerobic sepsis include a putrid odor of the exudate and evidence of abscess, necrosis or associated gas formation. The importance and value of the Gram stain in early identification of surgical sepsis is stressed. Treatment of infectious complications includes surgical drainage and specific antibiotics.

Abdomen↗

Chlamydin trachomatis in cell culture. I. Comparison of efficiencies of infection in several chemically defined media, at various pH and temperature values, and after exposure to diethylaminoethyl-dextran.

Three chemically defined cell culture media, Eagle minimum essential medium (MEM) with Earle basal salt solution, Eagle MEM with Hanks basal salt solution, and a modified Eagle MEM, were tested and found capable of supporting the development of Chlamydia trachomatis in (60)Co-treated McCoy cells. The enhancement of trachoma infection by diethylaminoethyl-dextran (DEAE-D) was greater at pH values closer to neutrality than at any other pH values measured at the start of the experiments. Centrifugation of the trachoma inoculum onto cell monolayers at 33 C increased the number of inclusions when compared to centrifugation at 20 C. When the inoculum was centrifuged onto cell monolayers and subsequent incubation was at temperatures ranging from 34 to 39 C, the greatest number of inclusions was observed after incubation from 35 through 37 C. Enhancement of the trachoma infection by DEAE-D was tested at temperatures ranging from 35 to 37 C. These cultures had three- to fivefold increases in inclusions when compared to previously reported experiments in which DEAE-D-treated cultures were incubated at 34 C.

Cells, Cultured↗