The problem of infection in gall bladder disease with a report on the experimental production of cholecystitis

Conclusions

1. In a composite review of two thousand one hundred sixty-two cases of cholecystitis studied bacteriologically following cholecystectomies, more than forty-five per cent yielded positive cultures from the gall bladder wall, more than twenty-nine per cent from the contents of the gall bladder.

2. Many bacteria were obtained, but most common were the streptococcic, colon-typhoid and the staphylococcic groups.

3. From an experimental standpoint cholecystitis can be produced by a variety of organisms. There appear to be no specific bacteria.

4. Foci of infection appear to play the primary etiologicrôle and may be divided into two regions, the head and bowel.

5. The elective localization of bacteria as an hypothesis is open to question.

6. The route by which bacteria reach the gall bladder in the majority of instances appears to be by way of the blood stream.

7. In general, from this study we are inclined to believe that almost one-half of the cases of gall bladder disease seen clinically are bacterial in origin.