Septicaemia in a teaching hospital in Kuwait--II: Factors influencing the outcome in III episodes

The case fatality rate (CFR) among III episodes of septicaemia in Kuwait was 22.5%. It increased with age but was not influenced by sex. Gram-negative, polymicrobial and hospital-acquired septicaemia carried a high mortality rate. Due to the influence of the more common, but less fatal salmonella infections, however, mortality from septicaemia caused by Gram-negative bacteria was lower than that reported from more developed countries. Patients with underlying conditions, such as malignancy, chronic liver disease, diabetes mellitus, renal transplant and conditions requiring surgery, as well as those with unknown sources of infection or infection originating from the respiratory tract or from surgical wounds had high mortality rates. The chances of survival increased with the use of appropriate antibiotic therapy and the absence of underlying disease. None of the patients with underlying conditions survived after receiving inappropriate therapy as compared with 50% who were previously healthy. The changing aetiology and the emergence of immuno compromised patients are possible causes for the failure to reduce significantly the mortality from septicaemia in Kuwait.     

Bacterial agents in neonatal septicaemia in Calabar, Nigeria: review of 100 cases.

This study of bacterial isolates in 100 cases of proven neonatal septicaemia has shown Staphylococcus aureus and coliform bacteria as the dominant Gram-positive and Gram-negative organisms respectively. Most Gram-negative bacteria and Staphylococcus aureus were sensitive to gentamicin, while streptococci were sensitive to ampicillin and penicillin. On the basis of this antimicrobial sensitivity pattern, the combination of gentamicin with either ampicillin or penicillin appears appropriate in initial therapy of neonatal septicaemia.     

慢性阻塞性肺疾病急性加重期患者病原菌分布及耐药性分析

目的了解某院慢性阻塞性肺疾病急性加重期（acute exacerbation of chronic obstructivepulmonary disease, AECOPD）患者下呼吸道病原菌分布及药敏情况,指导临床合理应用抗菌药物。方法对该院2007年4月至2011年12月住院的718例AECOPD患者痰培养及药敏结果进行回顾性分析。结果共分离出病原菌479株,其中革兰阴性杆菌266株（55．5％）,主要为克雷伯菌属、铜绿假单胞菌、大肠埃希菌及不动杆菌属;革兰阳性球菌144株（30．1％）,以葡萄球菌属和肺炎链球菌为主;真菌69株（14．4％）,以白色假丝酵母菌为主。极重度COPD患者革兰阴性杆菌（64．7％vs59．8％vs49．1％）和真菌的检出率（20．6％vs18．5％vs9．0％）均高于重度和中度患者（革兰阴性杆菌χ2=7．42,P〈0．05;真菌χ2=9．95,P〈0．05）。革兰阴性杆菌耐药率较低的为亚胺培南、头孢哌酮／舒巴坦、多黏菌素、莫西沙星和阿米卡星;革兰阳性球菌耐药率较低的为万古霉素、替考拉宁、利奈唑胺、喹奴普汀／达福普汀和夫西地酸。结论AECOPD患者下呼吸道感染病原菌以革兰阴性杆菌为主,是肺功能差、病情严重的患者的优势致病菌。     

Blood culture isolates in hemodialysis vascular catheter-related bacteremia

Hemodialysis requires reliable and recurrent access to the central circulation and arteriovenous fistulas or grafts are the preferred modes of vascular access. However, in many patients the use of external tunneled vascular catheters may be necessary. The major complication of tunneled catheters is infection. Understanding local epidemiologic patterns of dialysis catheter-related bacteremia may help in the management of these patients. To address this issue, we reviewed the 5-year microbiologic culture results from all bacteremic hemodialysis patients with tunneled catheters at our institution. During this period, there were 203 organisms isolated from 153 positive blood cultures. Gram-positive, Gram-negative, and fungal species represented 55.7%, 43.3%, and 1% of isolates, respectively. Positive blood cultures classified according to the presence of a single Gram-positive or single Gram-negative organism, single fungus, or polymicrobial organisms, accounted for 41.8%, 29.4%, 0.6% and 28.1% of infectious events. From 2000-2004, there was a numerical trend toward a decrease in Gram-positive infection (64.3% versus 34.8% respectively, P = 0.12) and a numerical trend toward an increase in Gram-negative and polymicrobial bacteremias (17.9 versus 21.7, P = 0.07 and 17.9 versus 43.5, P = 0.09, respectively). These data indicate that bacteremic events in hemodialysis patients with vascular catheters are commonly due to a single Gram-positive organism, but the incidence of Gram-negative and polymicrobial bacteremia may be increasing. If confirmed in a prospective trial, adjustment of empiric antibiotic regimens for suspected catheter-associated bacteremia may be indicated.     

Community-acquired bacteremia in the elderly: a prospective study of 121 cases.

OBJECTIVE: To describe community-acquired bacteremia in the elderly and correlate clinical and laboratory findings with outcome. DESIGN: Prospective study of consecutive cases. SETTING: Large community-based teaching hospital. PATIENTS: One hundred and twenty-one elderly patients aged 65 to 89 years, seen between February 1, 1986 and January 31, 1988. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Bacteriological cultures, symptoms and signs, laboratory findings, and mortality. RESULTS: Gram-negative organisms accounted for 65 (54%) cases and Gram-positive organisms for 47 (39%) cases, while nine (7%) cases were polymicrobial. E. coli (39%), Klebsiella sp. (8%), S. pneumoniae (14%), and S. aureus (12%) were the most commonly isolated organisms. The overall mortality was 38%. A poor prognosis was associated with confusion as a presenting symptom (P < 0.0003), hypotension (P < 0.0003), and inappropriate or delayed treatment (P < 0.02). A good prognosis was associated with E. coli as the pathogen (P < 0.0003) and prompt, appropriate antibiotic therapy. CONCLUSION: Community-acquired bacteremia in the elderly has a high mortality rate. Early recognition and prompt, appropriate treatment are critical in reducing the mortality.     

Clinical correlates of bacteremia in a Veterans Administration extended care facility

Little is known about bacteremia in long-term care facilities. We have conducted a retrospective study during a 12-month period analyzing the clinical correlates of bacteremia in 533 chronically institutionalized, predominantly male patients, with an average age of 69 years. Thirty-four men had forty-two bacteremic illnesses during this period. The incidence rate was 0.30 episodes per 1000 patient care days, and the mortality rate was 21%. The urinary tract was the most frequently identified tissue source (56%), followed by respiratory tract (7%) and skin (7%). Providencia stuartii was the most common gram-negative organism, while Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pneumoniae and enterococcus were the frequent gram-positive microbes. Gram-negative bacteremia accounted for 63% of the episodes (15% mortality rate), and gram-positive bacteremia accounted for 27% (18% mortality rate); 10% of the bacteremias were polymicrobial (25% mortality rate). Most of the isolated organisms were sensitive to available antimicrobial agents. The leading risk factor for bacteremia was an indwelling urinary catheter (odds ratio 39, 95% confidence limits 16 to 97). Patients with urinary catheters at the beginning of the study constituted only 5% of the population, but accounted for 40% of the gram-negative bacteremias during the year of observation.     

Microbiologic study of the bile culture and antimicrobial susceptibility in patients with biliary tract infection

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Bacterial infection of biliary tract may cause severe inflammatory response or sepsis. An immediate bile culture and appropriate antibiotic administration are important to control the biliary tract infection. The objective of the study was to identify organisms in bile and the features of antibiotic susceptibility in patients with biliary tract infection. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the clinical records of 212 patients whose bile had been cultured for variable biliary tract diseases at Inje University Ilsan Paik Hospital from Jan. 2000 to Feb. 2007. Bile samples were obtained from percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage (PTBD, n=89), percutaneous transhepatic gallbladder drainage (PTGBD, n=14) or endoscopic naso-biliary drainage (ENBD, n=49). RESULTS: The overall positive rate of bile culture was 71.7% (152 cases). The organisms cultured were Escherichia coli (25.0%), Enterococcus spp. (13.4%), Klebsiella spp. (11.1%), Pseudomonas spp. (11.1%), and coagulase-negative Staphylococcus (9.7%) in decreasing order. Effective antibiotics for Gram-negative organisms were amoxicillin/clavulanic acid, amikacin, imipenem, and piperacillin/tazobactam in order of effectiveness. Of the cultured blood samples from 160 patients, fifty (31.2%) showed positive bacterial growth. The organisms isolated from blood were similar to those found in the bile. CONCLUSIONS: A broad spectrum penicillin/beta-lactamase inhibitor is a recommendable antimicrobial for empirical treatment for biliary tract infection. However, Gram-positive bacteria such as Enterococcus spp. or methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus are emerging as causative microorganisms. If these organisms are isolated, antimicrobial drugs should be replaced by narrower-spectrum antimicrobials.     

下呼吸道感染患者病原菌分布及耐药性变迁

目的了解下呼吸道感染病原菌的分布及耐药性的变化趋势。方法统计2010年医院呼吸内科住院患者痰液培养标本及药敏结果,并与2005年结果比较。结果 2005年,2010年革兰阴性菌分别占当年总菌株数的64.7%和46.7%,革兰阳性菌分别占18.9%和22.2%,真菌分别占16.4%和23.6%。革兰阴性菌以铜绿假单胞菌、大肠埃希菌、肺炎克雷伯菌和不动杆菌为主,铜绿假单胞菌对亚胺培南耐药率有显著上升。革兰阳性菌以金黄色葡萄球菌和表皮葡萄球菌为主,两者对万古霉素敏感,对苯唑西林耐药,真菌以白色假丝酵母菌为主,对氟康唑耐药性增加。结论本组资料对下呼吸道感染的治疗和抗菌药物的选择有参考价值,应重视下呼吸道感染病原菌的变化及耐药性监测,抗菌药物的选择应在体外细菌药敏试验指导下进行。     

老年慢性阻塞性肺疾病急性加重期患者呼吸道病原菌分布与耐药性

目的分析老年慢性阻塞性肺疾病急性加重期(AECOPD)患者呼吸道病原菌分布及耐药性,以指导临床合理用药。方法回顾性分析2014年12月至2019年6月徐州医科大学附属医院急诊重症医学科收治的痰培养结果阳性的93例老年AECOPD患者的临床资料,对患者痰标本进行病原菌检测及药敏试验,研究其病原菌分布及耐药性。结果所有痰培养结果阳性的老年AECOPD患者中,单一感染55例(59.14%),包括细菌感染50例(53.76%)、真菌感染5例(5.38%);混合感染38例(40.86%),包括多种细菌混合感染24例(25.81%)、细菌真菌混合感染14例(15.05%)。共检测出病原菌138株,其中,革兰阳性菌15株(10.87%)、革兰阴性菌103株(74.64%)、真菌20株(14.49%)。革兰阳性菌主要为金黄色葡萄球菌等,革兰阴性菌主要为鲍曼不动杆菌、肺炎克雷伯杆菌、大肠埃希菌、铜绿假单胞菌等,真菌主要为白假丝酵母菌、曲霉菌等。革兰阳性菌中金黄色葡萄球菌对青霉素、苯唑西林、克林霉素、红霉素的耐药率均为100%,对替考拉宁、万古霉素、达托霉素、利奈唑胺、奎奴普丁、呋喃妥因的敏感性高,耐药率为0%。革兰阴性菌对头孢唑林、头孢曲松的耐药率均为100%,对头孢他啶、左氧氟沙星、环丙沙星、复方新诺明的耐药率40%,对替加环素、多粘菌素的敏感性较高。结论老年AECOPD患者呼吸道病原菌以革兰阴性菌为主,其中鲍曼不动杆菌最多。检出的病原菌中耐药菌较多,临床上应根据细菌培养结果及耐药性分析合理选择抗菌药物。     

Pharyngeal flora in ambulatory alcoholic patients: prevalence of gram-negative bacilli.

The pharyngeal flora of a group of ambulatory alcoholic patients was studied and compared with the pharyngeal flora of a control group. Sixty-eight patients were studied, 34 alcoholics and 28 controls. Of the alcoholic patients, 59% had Gram-negative bacilli in their pharyngeal flora, while 14% of the control group had the same organisms. There were no differences in Gram-positive cocci colonization between the groups. Klebsiella pneumoniae was the most frequent isolate (40%) and the Klebsiella-Enterobacter group accounted for 76% of the isolates. Colonization rates of greater than 10 colony forming units/ml were found in 43% of the alcoholic patients. The high prevalence and higher colonization rates of Gram-negative bacilli in alcoholic patients might explain the higher incidence of Gram-negative bacillary pneumonia among alcoholics.     

Klebsiella bacteremia: a review of 196 episodes during a decade (1980-1989)

This report reviews 196 episodes of klebsiella bacteremia in 194 patients during a 10-year period (1980-1989) in a community teaching hospital in the USA. The median age of patients was 70 years with a mode of 84 years. The prevalence was 0.76 episodes/1000 admissions. Nosocomial acquisition of bacteremia occurred in 43% of episodes and 16% of patients were from nursing homes. Klebsiella pneumoniae accounted for 86% and K. oxytoca for 13% of episodes. Most isolates were resistant to ampicillin and carbenicillin but susceptible to other antimicrobial agents tested. 55 episodes (28%) were polymicrobial; Escherichia coli and enterococci were the most common co-isolates. The major portals of entry were the respiratory tract and urinary tract. The majority of patients had major underlying conditions. The overall mortality was 37%. Factors that adversely influenced the mortality rate were nosocomial bacteremia, polymicrobial bacteremia, respiratory tract as the portal of entry, rapidly fatal and ultimately fatal underlying conditions, septic shock, severe leukopenia, increases in total serum bilirubin level or serum creatinine level and inappropriate antimicrobial therapy.     

Septicaemia caused by Pediococcus pentosaceus: a new opportunistic pathogen.

A case of septicaemia caused by Pediococcus pentosaceus is described. The role played by pediococci, and other vancomycin-resistant Gram-positive cocci, in disease states is examined. We suggest that in immunocompromised patients these organisms act as opportunist pathogens. This would appear to be the first reported case of P. pentosaceus septicaemia.     

Teicoplanin in the treatment of Gram-positive bacteraemia in neutropenic patients

S ummary The increasing incidence of bacteraemia caused by Gram-positive bacteria in neutropenic patients prompted the authors to evaluate, in a prospective trial, the role of teicoplanin in the treatment of this infection. Over a 15-month period. 76 cases of bacteraemia (out of 265 evaluable episodes of fever) were observed at the Division of Haematology. University La Sapienza. Kome. Of the 76 cases studied, 46 (60%) were caused by Gram-positive bacteria and 28 (37%) were caused by Gram-negative bacilli. All febrile episodes were treated randomly and empirically with piperacillin plus amikacin with or without teicoplanin. Overall, 41 (54%) of the 76 cases of bacteraemia responded to the initial antibiotic regimen: with subsequent modifications the response rate rose to 96%.
In the treatment of Gram-positive bacteraemia. first-line administration of teicoplanin was found to be associated with early defervescence and with a significantly higher rate of success without modification of treatment (P < 0.01). Addition of teicoplanin as second-line therapy produced a favourable outcome in 12 (70%) out of 17 cases of bacteraemia unresponsive to the initial piperacillin + amikacin regimen. No cases of Gram-positive bacteraemia associated with septic shock or adult respiratory distress syndrome were observed in either treatment group. Only two late deaths were observed, and these occurred in patients with streptococcal septicaemia who were not receiving early teicoplanin.
The above data do not endorse the use of glycopeptide antibiotics in the early treatment of fever in neutropenic patients: rather, these compounds should be reserved for proven or presumed Gram-positive infections which do not respond to initial beta-lactam/aminoglycoside treatment.     

A 10-year prospective surveillance of nosocomial infections in neonatal intensive care units

BACKGROUND: We report on nosocomial infections (NIs), causative organisms, and antimicrobial susceptibility patterns in neonates who were admitted to neonatal intensive care units (NICUs), and assess the performance of birth weight (BW) as a variable for risk-stratified NI rate reporting. METHODS: A prospective, 10-year follow-up, open cohort study that involved six Brazilian NICUs was conducted. The NI incidence rates were calculated using different denominators. RESULTS: Six thousand two hundred forty-three newborns and 450 NICU-months of data were available for analysis. This included 3603 NIs that occurred in 2286 newborns over 121,008 patient-days. The most frequent NIs were primary bloodstream infection (pBSI; 45.9%), conjunctivitis (12.1%), skin infections (9.6%), and pneumonia (6.8%). Only the pBSI (but not pneumonia or central venous catheter-related pBSI) rate distribution differed significantly with varying BW. Gram-negative rods (mainly Klebsiella sp. and Escherichia coli) were responsible for 51.6% episodes of pBSI. Gram-positive organisms (mainly coagulase-positive staphylococci) accounted for 37.4%. Candida sp. was the fourth isolated organism. A high resistance to third-generation cephalosporins was recorded in K pneumoniae and E coli isolates. CONCLUSIONS: This report highlights the burden of NI, and identifies the major focus for future NI control and prevention programs. Except for pBSI, BW had a poor performance as a variable for risk-stratified NI rate reporting.     

A 10-year experience with bacteriology of acute thoracic empyema: emphasis on Klebsiella pneumoniae in patients with diabetes mellitus

STUDY OBJECTIVES: To provide an updated evaluation of the bacteriology of acute thoracic empyema for more efficacious treatment. DESIGN:: The medical and microbiological records of all patients who received a diagnosis of acute thoracic empyema were reviewed. Based on the bacteria isolated from the pleural fluid, the patients were classified into the following four groups: aerobic or facultative Gram-positive; aerobic Gram-negative; anaerobic; and mixed. SETTING: A university-affiliated tertiary medical center. PATIENTS AND METHODS: From January 1989 to December 1998, 171 patients with a diagnosis of acute thoracic empyema were treated. A comparative analysis of the isolates from pleural effusions, the mean length of hospital stay, the mean duration of chest tube drainage, the mean duration between the onset of symptoms and the establishment of diagnosis, treatment efficacy, and the need for subsequent intervention was performed. RESULTS: A total of 163 microorganisms were isolated from the pleural fluid of 139 patients. These patients were classified according to the following types of isolates: aerobic or facultative Gram-positive (n = 47); aerobic Gram-negative (n = 59); anaerobic (n = 14); and mixed (n = 19). Klebsiella pneumoniae was the most commonly isolated pathogen (24. 4%) and was strongly associated with a diagnosis of diabetes mellitus. The mortality rate of patients with aerobic Gram-negative bacilli isolated was the highest (22.0%), followed by those with mixed pathogens isolated (15.7%), aerobic or facultative Gram-positive (6.4%), and anaerobic (0%). CONCLUSIONS: The increasing incidence of acute thoracic empyema caused by Gram-negative bacilli, especially by K pneumoniae, has become an increasing problem. The isolation of aerobic Gram-negative bacilli or multiple pathogens from pleural fluid is associated with a poor prognosis and indicates a need for more aggressive antimicrobial chemotherapy.     

Blood stream infections throught the entire course of acute lymphoblastic leukemia treatment

The incidence, type and mortality of bacteremias were evaluated in a pediatric patient cohort, during the entire course of treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Eighty-six patients with newly diagnosed ALL were studied. A bacteremic episode was defined as blood isolation of a pathogen in the presence of clinical symptomatology of septicaemia. Bacteremias were analyzed according to the treatment element being delivered and the degree of neutropenia. A central venous catheter (CVC) was inserted at diagnosis in all patients. Fifty-two episodes of bacteremias were encountered in 38/86 (44%) patients, while 48/86 patients had no positive blood culture. Three out of the 38 patients had bacteremia and CVC area infection, simultaneously. Most blood stream infections (29/52, 56%) were documented during the induction phase. Isolated Gram-positive organisms were 48%, Gram-negative 50% and 2% of the positive blood cultures represented fungaemias. The most common Gram-positive isolates were Staphylococcus species (N=22) and the commonest Gram-negative isolated pathogens were Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The majority of bacteremias (75%) occurred during neutropenia. The initial antibiotic treatment was ceftazidime or piperacillin/tazobactam and amikacin or tobramycin. CVC was not removed in the majority of bacteremias (94%). No infection related fatality was recorded. Bacteremias constituted a severe and common complication in our patient cohort. However, infection-related fatality rate was negligible, most probably due to the prompt initiation of broad coverage antimicrobial therapy.     

Microbiology of choledochal bile in patients with choledocholithiasis admitted to a tertiary hospital

AIM: The present study was designed to investigate the microbiology of choledochal bile of patients with cholangitis and choledocholithiasis. METHODS: We identified and determined the antimicrobial susceptibility of bacteria isolated in the bile of patients with cholangitis and choledocholithiasis diagnosed by endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP). RESULTS: Nineteen (82.6%) of 23 patients with choledocholithiasis had positive bile cultures. A single agent was detected in 11 patients (57.9%), while a mixed growth, with pathogens ranging from two to three species, were seen in eight patients (42.1%). Patients with clinical manifestations of cholangitis had significantly higher counts of colonies per mL of bile (> 105 cfu/mL).The predominant Gram-negative aerobic bacteria isolated were Escherichia coli (9, 31.0%), Klebsiella pneumoniae (5, 17.2%), Enterobacter cloacae (2, 6.9%), Pantoea agglomerans (1, 3.4%), and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (1, 3.4%). The predominant Gram-positive bacteria were Enterococcus faecalis (5, 17.2%) and Streptococcus sp. (5, 17.2%). Bacteroides fragilis was isolated in one patient with mixed growth. All Gram-positive bacteria isolated in bile were sensitive to ampicillin, and all Gram-negative bacteria isolated were sensitive to gentamicin with a minimum inhibitory concentration (CIM90) ranging from 0.5 to 1.0- micro g/mL. Gram-negative bacteria were also sensitive to imipenem, fluorquinolones, second and third generation cephalosporins. Although all five isolates of E. faecalis were sensitive to ampicillin, two of five (40%) E. faecalis isolates demonstrated high levels of resistance to gentamicin. CONCLUSION: E. coli, K. pneumoniae, E. faecalis and Streptoccocus sp. were the most common bacteria isolated in the bile of patients with cholangitis and choledocholithiasis, which were sensitive to a simple therapeutic regimen, such as the combination of ampicilin and gentamicin.     

A multi-centre prospective study of febrile neutropenia in Norway: microbiological findings and antimicrobial susceptibility

The urgent need to treat presumptive bacterial or fungal infections in neutropenic patients has meant that initial therapy is empiric and based on the pathogens most likely to be responsible, and drug resistance. The traditional empirical treatment in Norway has been penicillin G and an aminoglycoside, and this combination has been criticized over recent y. We wished to analyse the microbiological spectrum and susceptibility patterns of pathogens causing bacteraemia in febrile neutropenic patients. This was a prospective multicentre study. During the study period of 2 y, a total of 282 episodes of fever involving 243 neutropenic patients was observed. In 34% of episodes bacteraemia was documented. Overall, 40% of the episodes were caused by Gram-positive organisms, 41% by Gram-negative organisms and 19% were polymicrobial. The most frequently isolated bacteria were Escherichia coli (25.6%), a- and non-haemolytic streptococci (15.6%), coagulase-negative staphylococci (12.4%) and Klebsiella spp. (7.4%). None of the Gram-negative isolates was resistant to gentamicin, meropenem, ceftazidime or ciprofloxacin. Only 5 coagulase-negative staphylococci isolates were resistant to both penicillin G and aminoglycoside. The overall mortality rate was 7%, and 1.2% due to confirmed bacteraemic infection.     

肾病患者尿路感染病原菌的分布及耐药性分析

目的分析肾病患者尿路感染常见的病原菌分布及细菌对抗菌药物的耐药情况。方法收集我院肾病内科2006年9月-2008年9月因肾病住院、合并尿路感染患者尿液标本中分离的病原菌267株,进行细菌鉴定和药敏实验。结果肾病患者合并尿路感染的菌株中以革兰阴性菌为主,尤以大肠埃希菌最为常见,其次为肺炎克雷伯菌;在革兰阳性菌中以肠球菌属为主,真菌感染的数量相对较少。细菌对各种抗菌药物有不同程度的耐药。结论。肾病患者尿路感染的菌株以革兰阴性杆菌为主,耐药率较高。分析病原菌分布及耐药性,对于指导合理选择抗菌药物具有十分重要的临床意义。     

The changing pattern of bacterial sepsis since the introduction of antibiotic therapy.

During the six-year period, 1968-1973, sepsis developed in 1 of every 80 patients admitted to the Presbyterian Hospital, New York. In 1 of 133 patients the sepsis was due to Gram-positive organisms, and in 1 of 188 patients to Gram-negative organisms. The mortality rate for Gram-positive cases was 4.4 percent, for Gram-negative cases 19.1 percent, and for urologic cases 15.3 percent (versus 56.25 percent in 1959-1964). Data are presented on the relative incidences of involved pathogens in 1740 cases of Gram-positive sepsis /78 deaths), and in 1236 cases of Gram-negative sepsis (205 deaths). The lowering of the sepsis mortality rate has been the result of preventative measures, early diagnosis, and vigorous treatment. Treatment includes the correction of acidosis and anoxia, early administration of bactericidal antibiotics, and restoration of the microcirculation by administration of corticosteroids, beta-adrenergic drugs, and appropriate diuretics.