[Bacteriological diagnosis of anaerobic infections]

To avoid false positive results it is very important that specimens for culture of anaerobic bacteria are not contaminated with normal flora from the skin or mucous membranes (mouth, intestinal tract, genital tract). The specimen should be transported to the laboratory as fast as possible without exposure to oxygen. Liquid specimens, such as aspirates, are superior to swabs. For rapid presumptive diagnosis suitable methods are gram stain and direct gas-liquid chromatography for fatty acids. Culture is laborious and time-consuming.