Biomaterial Database

Microbiology of liver abscesses and the predictive value of abscess gram stain and associated blood cultures. 2003

Roy F Chemaly, and Gerri S Hall, and Thomas F Keys, and Gary W Procop

Department of Clinical Pathology, Section of Clinical Microbiology, The Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH, USA. rfchemaly@mdanderson.org

Although rare, pyogenic liver abscesses are potentially fatal. We evaluated the predictive value of Gram stain of liver abscess aspirates and temporally associated blood cultures. Gram stains detected bacteria in 79% of the liver abscesses tested. The sensitivity and specificity of Gram stain of the liver abscesses were 90% and 100% for Gram-positive cocci (GPC) and 52% and 94% for Gram-negative bacilli (GNB). The sensitivities of the blood cultures for any GPC and GNB present in the liver abscess were 30% and 39%, respectively. Although, Gram stains and blood cultures offer incomplete detection of the microbial contents of pyogenic liver abscesses, both tests should always accompany liver abscess cultures.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008100	Liver Abscess	Solitary or multiple collections of PUS within the liver as a result of infection by bacteria, protozoa, or other agents.	Abscess, Hepatic,Abscess, Liver,Abscesses, Hepatic,Abscesses, Liver,Hepatic Abscess,Hepatic Abscesses,Liver Abscesses
D008297	Male		Males
D010619	Phenazines
D011237	Predictive Value of Tests	In screening and diagnostic tests, the probability that a person with a positive test is a true positive (i.e., has the disease), is referred to as the predictive value of a positive test; whereas, the predictive value of a negative test is the probability that the person with a negative test does not have the disease. Predictive value is related to the sensitivity and specificity of the test.	Negative Predictive Value,Positive Predictive Value,Predictive Value Of Test,Predictive Values Of Tests,Negative Predictive Values,Positive Predictive Values,Predictive Value, Negative,Predictive Value, Positive
D005260	Female		Females
D005840	Gentian Violet	A dye that is a mixture of violet rosanilinis with antibacterial, antifungal, and anthelmintic properties.	Crystal Violet,Methyl Violet,Methylrosaniline Chloride,C.I. 42555,Gentiaanviolet FNA,Hexamethylpararosaniline Chloride,Kristallviolett-Lösung,Vigencial,Chloride, Hexamethylpararosaniline,Chloride, Methylrosaniline,FNA, Gentiaanviolet,Kristallviolett Lösung,Violet, Crystal,Violet, Gentian,Violet, Methyl
D006090	Gram-Negative Bacteria	Bacteria which lose crystal violet stain but are stained pink when treated by Gram's method.	Gram Negative Bacteria
D006094	Gram-Positive Bacteria	Bacteria which retain the crystal violet stain when treated by Gram's method.	Gram Positive Bacteria
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D001431	Bacteriological Techniques	Techniques used in studying bacteria.	Bacteriologic Technic,Bacteriologic Technics,Bacteriologic Techniques,Bacteriological Technique,Technic, Bacteriological,Technics, Bacteriological,Technique, Bacteriological,Techniques, Bacteriological,Bacteriologic Technique,Bacteriological Technic,Bacteriological Technics,Technic, Bacteriologic,Technics, Bacteriologic,Technique, Bacteriologic,Techniques, Bacteriologic