Anaerobic infections caused by bacteria that don’t need oxygen can lead to abscesses, lung disease, gangrene, and other diseases. They affect many parts of the body and can sometimes be fatal. There are three types of anaerobic bacteria, and most often, an anaerobic infection is caused by a mixture of microbes. Some people are more likely to get anaerobic infections, such as those who have had surgery or trauma or those who have had a foreign object inserted into their body. A doctor can recognize a probable anaerobic infection by the unpleasant gas produced by the bacteria. Confirmation of a suspected anaerobic infection can take up to five days.
Anaerobic infections are diseases caused by microbes that don’t need oxygen to grow. They can cause abscesses, lung disease, gangrene and other diseases. Anaerobic bacteria live naturally on human skin and mucous membranes, such as the mouth, intestines and vagina. These usually harmless organisms can invade the body and cause disease if the skin or mucous membranes are broken. Anaerobic microbes affect many parts of the body and can sometimes be fatal.
There are three types of anaerobic bacteria. An obligate anaerobe is completely intolerant of oxygen, a microaerophile can handle low levels of oxygen but prefers to grow without oxygen, and a facultative anaerobe grows equally well in the presence or absence of oxygen. Different types grow best under different conditions, but even obligate anaerobes can live up to three days in an oxygen-containing atmosphere.
Most often, an anaerobic infection is caused by a mixture of microbes and not just one species. Sometimes, aerobic bacteria, which need oxygen to live, also grow in the same infected site. Common causes of anaerobic infections include bacteriodes, which cause abdominal infections; the Clostridium group, which can cause gangrene, botulism, or colitis; and Propionibacterium, which grows around medical devices in the body.
Some people are more likely to get anaerobic infections, such as those who have had surgery or trauma or those who have had a foreign object such as a shunt or heart device inserted into their body. Those with diabetes, colitis, or the immunocompromised are also more at risk than the general public. For these reasons, hospital patients are more likely to become infected.
A doctor can recognize a probable anaerobic infection by the unpleasant gas produced by the bacteria. The infected area also contains a lot of pus, and the tissue around the infection may be abscessed or appear dead. To confirm that a patient has an anaerobic infection, doctors send a sample of pus or other bodily fluids to the laboratory for testing. Since anaerobes are commonly found on the skin, special care must be taken to avoid sampling harmless anaerobic microbes that could be mistaken for the cause of the infection.
Microbiological culture confirmation of a suspected anaerobic infection can take up to five days. A doctor can then put a patient directly on an antibiotic regimen before the test results come back. Some anaerobic bacteria are resistant to penicillin, so other antibiotics should be used in these cases. He or she may also try to stop the infection from spreading by draining pus from the infection and debriding the infected area, which involves removing dead and infected cells.
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