Behera HS, Chayani N, Bal M, Khuntia HK, Pati S, Das S, Ranjit M, et al.
BMC surgery. Date of publication 2021 Jan 7;volume 21(1):28.
1. BMC Surg. 2021 Jan 7;21(1):28. doi: 10.1186/s12893-020-01016-y.
Identification of population of bacteria from culture negative surgical site
infection patients using molecular tool.
Behera HS(1)(2), Chayani N(3), Bal M(4), Khuntia HK(5), Pati S(6), Das S(5),
Ranjit M(7)(8).
Author information:
(1)ICMR-Regional Medical Research Centre, Bhubaneswar, 751023, Odisha, India.
himansubt@gmail.com.
(2)Department of Molecular Epidemiology, ICMR-Regional Medical Research Centre,
Bhubaneswar, 751023, India. himansubt@gmail.com.
(3)Department of Microbiology, SCB Medical College and Hospital, Cuttack, 753003,
India.
(4)Department of Parasite Immunology, ICMR-Regional Medical Research Centre,
Bhubaneswar, 751023, India.
(5)Department of Molecular Epidemiology, ICMR-Regional Medical Research Centre,
Bhubaneswar, 751023, India.
(6)Department of Public Health, ICMR-Regional Medical Research Centre,
Bhubaneswar, India.
(7)ICMR-Regional Medical Research Centre, Bhubaneswar, 751023, Odisha, India.
ranjit62@gmail.com.
(8)Department of Molecular Epidemiology, ICMR-Regional Medical Research Centre,
Bhubaneswar, 751023, India. ranjit62@gmail.com.
BACKGROUND: Managing surgical site infections, with negative culture report in
routine diagnosis is a common dilemma in microbiology accounting more than 30%
worldwide. The present study attempted to identify the presence of bacterial spp.
if any in wound aspirates/swabs of culture negative surgical site infections of
hospitalised patients using molecular tools.
METHODS: Ninety-seven patients with post-operative SSI whose wound swabs/aspirate
were negative in the conventional aerobic culture after 72 h of incubation were
analysed by 16S rRNA gene specific broad range PCR. The amplified DNA fragments
were sequenced by Sanger DNA sequencing method and homology of the sequence were
matched using NCBI BLAST (NCBI, USA) RESULTS: Of the 97 patients, 16S rRNA based
broad range PCR assay could identify the presence of bacterial pathogen in
53(54.63%) cases, of which 29 isolates were supposed to be of viable but
non-culturable bacteria (VBNC), 07 were of obligatory anaerobes and 13 were of
unculturable bacteria, 04 were with poly bacterial infections.
CONCLUSIONS: Our study highlights the usefulness of PCR assay in detecting the
presence of any VBNC, anaerobes and unculturable bacteria in SSI patients
regardless of how well the bacteria may or may not grow in culture. Measures
should be taken to use anaerobic culture system and PCR diagnosis along with
conventional culture to detect the VBNC and unculturable bacteria where Gram
stain is positive for better patient care.
DOI: 10.1186/s12893-020-01016-y
PMCID: PMC7788737
PMID: 33413260 [Indexed for MEDLINE]
