BACTEROIDES FRAGILIS

Course overview

THE HUMAN COLON POSSESSES THE LARGEST POPULATION OF BACTERIA IN THE BODY, AND THE MAJORITY OF THESE ORGANISMS ARE ANAEROBES; OF THESE, ABOUT 25 PERCENT ARE SPECIES OF BACTEROIDES. BACTEROIDES FRAGILIS IS PART OF THE NORMAL MICROBIOTA OF THE HUMAN COLON. DISRUPTION OF THE MUCOSAL SURFACE EITHER BY INFLAMMATION, TRAUMA, OR SURGERY AND SPREAD OF BACTEROIDES FRAGILIS TO THE BLOODSTREAM OR SURROUNDING TISSUES RESULTS IN CLINICALLY SIGNIFICANT INFECTION. THIS ACTIVITY OUTLINES THE EVALUATION AND TREATMENT OF BACTEROIDES FRAGILIS INFECTION AND HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN MANAGING PATIENTS WITH THIS CONDITION.