Abstract
A total of 482 microbial strains were isolated from obliterative abscesses in 240 patients with suppurative inflammation of the oral cavity seen in 11 hospitals nationwide. Their species were identified and their antibiotic susceptibilities were assessed.
1) The proportions of aerobes to anaerobes were 68.0% to 31.5% respectively.
2) The aerobes consisted predominantly of a-Streptococcus. They also included β-Streptococcus, Staphylococcus epidermidis and many other species. Only four strains of S. aureus were found. The anaerobes consisted largely of Bacteroides and Peptostreptococci.
3) The pattern of bacterial distribution did not differ among periodontitis, pericoronitis and ostitis of the jaw.
4) The minimum inhibitory concentration was measured for rokitamycin (TMS-19-Q), josamycin (JM), midecamycin (MDM), erythromycin (EM), ampicillin (ABPC), and cephalexin (CEX) .
5) Erythromycin, rokitamycin and ampicillin demonstrated high sensitivity to the isolated microorganisms. However, Bacteroides tended to acquire resistance to ampicillin. Cephalexin had low sensitivity to the intraoral microorganisms in general.
