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Clostridium Perfringens Infection of the Biliary Tract
Author(s) -
Magee H. R.
Publication year - 1967
Publication title -
australian and new zealand journal of surgery
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.111
H-Index - 51
eISSN - 1445-2197
pISSN - 0004-8682
DOI - 10.1111/j.1445-2197.1967.tb04007.x
Subject(s) - medicine , clostridium perfringens , gas gangrene , cholecystectomy , cholecystitis , biliary tract , gallbladder , penicillin , general surgery , surgery , gangrene , intensive care medicine , antibiotics , microbiology and biotechnology , bacteria , genetics , biology
Two cases of Clostridium perfringens cholecystitis are presented. In one, the diagnosis was made five days after cholecystectomy, when a severe wound infection developed. In the other, the diagnosis was made at cholecystectomy, and appropriate therapy was instituted at that time. Both patients recovered. The diagnosis should be considered when gas is seen in the gallbladder or adjacent tissues on X‐ray examination or at operation, and the importance of obtaining cultures from the bile and the gallbladder is stressed. The therapy consists of cholecystectomy or hemicholecystectomy, penicillin in high dosage to combat the infection, and adequate surgical excision of infected tissue should gangrene develop. The literature is briefly reviewed, other therapeutic measures are discussed, and management of the condition is outlined.