Species of anaerobic Gram-negative bacilli involved in abscesses localized in the fascial spaces of the head and neck

Background In general, the oro-maxillo-facial infections, including the abscesses in the head and neck spaces, are mixed infections, involving anaerobic bacteria in association with facultative anaerobic microorganisms, with the predominance of the first ones. Since most anaerobes are fastidious bacteria, their isolation and identification are not routinely performed by the clinical laboratory, being considered too time-consuming. The aim of this study was to identify at species level a collection of 44 anaerobic Gram-negative bacilli strains (isolated from pus samples collected from patients with abscesses in the spaces of the head and neck presented to the Clinical Hospital of Oro-Maxillo-Facial Surgery Bucharest, during 2011-2012), stored in ultrafreezer at the laboratory of Microbiology Chair of the Faculty of Dentistry, University of Medicine and Pharmacy “Carol Davila” Bucharest.