[Bacteriological studies in gallbladder and bile duct diseases]

In 373 hospitalized patients with bacteriologically positive bile samples, the aetiology was clarified by laboratory methods in 80% of clinically verified gallbladder and biliary duct infections and in 15.5% of diseases related to the biliary duct. The relationship between anacidity and biliary duct infection and the high incidence of biliary duct infections at advanced age are pointed out. About 90% of the cultures yielded intestinal bacteria and in more than 50% of the bile samples, E. coli was present.