Aerobic Actinomyces Septicemia

Abstract

ALTHOUGH actinomycotic infection can no L longer be considered a rare disease, positive blood cultures with this group of organisms during life have been distinctly unusual. This is true despite the fact that blood-stream dissemination of the infecting organism is not uncommon, as shown by the relatively numerous cases of actinomycosis with widespread metastatic lesions reported in the literature. In his monograph Cope1 makes no reference to the isolation of the organism from blood cultures. In several reported cases of generalized actinomycosis blood cultures were taken, but with the exception of the five cases noted below, no growth occurred.The . . .