Fortschritte der Medizin
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Fortschritte der Medizin · Jul 1989
[Infection caused by gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. A comparative study].
The clinical symptomatology of bacterial septicemias was analysed in 417 patients of a University Hospital in West Berlin. Sepsis was caused by Gram-negative organisms in 229 cases, and by Gram-positive bacteria in 177 cases; 11 cases presented with a mixed type sepsis involving both Gram-positive and Gram-negative pathogens. ⋯ Pathophysiological changes (thrombopenia, leukopenia, coagulopathies) that are considered classical reactions to endotoxin, were also observed in Gram-positive infections. The overall prognosis of septicemia was determined largely by the severity of the underlying pathological condition.