[Post-mortal detection of clostridia--putrefaction or infection?]

Clostridia are often found in the heart blood and organs of corpses showing putrefactive changes, and it can sometimes be difficult to distinguish between an ante-mortem infection caused by these gram-positive, anaerobic, spore-forming bacteria and post-mortal putrefactive changes. Microbiological tests ordered by the Institute of Legal Medicine of the Hanover Medical School following autopsy between July 2006 and June 2009 were analyzed retrospectively. In all, 50 bacteriological analyses were performed. In 2006, no clostridia were detected, whereas in 2007 the bacteria were demonstrated in 3 (18.8%), in 2008 in 4 (23.5%) and in 2009 in 5 (33.3%) cases. In 50% of the cases, there had been an ante-mortal clostridia infection. The remaining 50% were due to post-mortem transmigration of clostridia species. The results of this study underline the importance of additional post-mortem bacteriological and histological investigations.