Bacteriological investigations of urinary infections

McGeachie, James (1964) Bacteriological investigations of urinary infections. MD thesis, University of Glasgow.

Abstract

1. A quantitative stroke-plate method for bacterial counting was developed which compared closely with the more time-consuming pour-plate method. A comparison with a quantitative leucocyte counting method showed good correlation between significant bacteriuria and pyuria. Gram-film methods for assessing the levels of bacteriuria and pyuria were found to correlate well with the quantitative methods, and the inaccuracy of the routine wet-film estimation was clearly shown. 2. Biochemical typing of the isolates from different bacterial count levels revealed that the Escherichia coli was the most frequently isolated species from patients with significant bacteriuria. It was shown that the presence of urinary tract abnormality decisively altered the frequency of the species isolated. 3. Serological grouping, with twelve specific antisera, was used to investigate the strains of Escherichia coli. Nearly two-thirds of the strains isolated form patients with symptomatic, significant bacteriuria were grouped serologically. No significant difference could be demonstrated in the frequency of the serological groups of the strains from high and low bacterial count specimens. 4. The haemolytic reaction of the Escherichia coli strans was predominantly associated with the serological groups: '01', '04', '06', '018' and '075', which accounted for more than ninety per cent of the haemolytic strains. There was no statistical difference shown in the frequency of the serological groups, or of the haemolytic reaction, in the strains isolated from males and females. 5. A method for colicine typing was developed which classified more than seventy per cent of the strains. There was no significant difference noted in the frequency of total colicinicity of the strains from the high and low bacterial count specimens, an increased frequency of one colicine sensitivity pattern was noted in the low count specimens. The colicine extraction method revealed that different media could affect both the production and diffusion of colicine. 7. The lack of significant difference in the frequencies of the serological groups and the colicinogenic patterns, between the strains from the high and low bacterial count specimens, was suggested as indicating that the infecting strain originates in the lower urinary tract. 8. The evidence of the typing markers, used to investigate the strains of Escherichia coli isolated from the recurrent infections, indicated that recurrence is due to reinfection by a new strain, in the majority of instances. Comparisons between the recurrences of patients with and without urinary tract abnormalities did not reveal any significant differences in the frequencies of recurrences, the time intervals or the change of strains.

• Item Type: Thesis (MD)
• Qualification Level: Doctoral
• Additional Information: Adviser: J CJ Ives
• Keywords: Microbiology, Pathology
• Date of Award: 1964
• Depositing User: Enlighten Team
• Unique ID: glathesis:1964-73862
• Copyright: Copyright of this thesis is held by the author.
• Date Deposited: 14 Jun 2019 08:56
• Last Modified: 14 Jun 2019 08:56
• URI: https://theses.gla.ac.uk/id/eprint/73862