[Atypical bacterial forms in septicemia. (L-forms). Preliminary report]

This paper refers to the presence of atypical bacterial forms in the blood culture of 40 children who evolved with septicemia. Bacterial growth appeared in 18 (45%) patients in ordinary cultures. With hypertonic culture media 26 (65%) patients showed positive results. In 13 cases the reverted bacteria coincided with those isolated in ordinary culture media. In 12 patients (30%) whose cultures in normal media were negative, abnormal atypical bacterial forms were identified. Gram-negative bacteria predominated and Staphylococcus epidermidis was observed to develop with a certain frequency.