67
Views
35
CrossRef citations to date
0
Altmetric
Original Article

Septic Acute Cholecystitis

, , , , &
Pages 272-275 | Received 07 Feb 1994, Accepted 06 Jun 1994, Published online: 08 Jul 2009
 

Abstract

Background: Bacteremia occurs frequently in cholangitis, but the incidence of bacteremia in acute cholecystitis has not previously been examined. Methods: Seventy-eight cases (46 men and 32 women; mean age, 63 ± 10 years) of acute cholecystitis with positive blood cultures were analyzed for clinical manifestation, bacteriology, and what consequences ensued. Seventy-eight non-bacteremic cholecystitis patients, matched for age and sex, served as the control group. Results: The prevalence of bacteremia in acute cholecystitis was 7.65% (78 of 1020). A single microorganism was isolated from the blood and bile in 87.2% and 27.3%, respectively. The commonest organisms were Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae. The source of bacteremia could be identified from the infected bile in 80% of cases. Compared with the non-bacteremia group, significant increases in liver biochemical test results (aspartate and alanine aminotransferases and bilirubin, and so forth), more complications (acute renal failure and septic shock), and higher mortality (9.0%) were found in the bacteremic group. Conclusion: Acute cholecystitis is not often complicated by bacteremia, but when bacteremia is present, morbidity and death more consistently ensue.

Reprints and Corporate Permissions

Please note: Selecting permissions does not provide access to the full text of the article, please see our help page How do I view content?

To request a reprint or corporate permissions for this article, please click on the relevant link below:

Academic Permissions

Please note: Selecting permissions does not provide access to the full text of the article, please see our help page How do I view content?

Obtain permissions instantly via Rightslink by clicking on the button below:

If you are unable to obtain permissions via Rightslink, please complete and submit this Permissions form. For more information, please visit our Permissions help page.