Pelviperitonitis and bacteremia due to Bacteroides splanchnicus. Report of a case

A case of pelviperitonitis and bacteremia due to Bacteroides splanchnicus is discussed. It occurred in a 56 year old obese woman who had a history of cholelithiasis and of asymptomatic myomatous uterus. B. splanchnicus was isolated from a blood sample drawn on admission, and from peritoneal pus found at laparotomy on the 11th hospital day. In the latter sample, the strain was associated to Proteus mirabilis. The organism was sensitive to all ten antibiotics tested, including penicillin G. Aminoglycosides were not studied. The patient, who received ampicillin made an uneventful recovery after cholecystectom and peritoneal drainage.