Isolations of Gram negative bacilli (abbreviated as GNB) from sputa of in-patients with tuberculosis were carried out using BTB Drigalski's media, once in every three weeks, during the more than two years period from Sept. 1964 to Dec. 1966. The number of patients tested at one time ranged from 30 to 50 In the course of the survey. The kinds of antibiotics used included SM, KM, VM, CPM, and PE-PC.
The results obtained were as follows:
1. The isolation rate of GNB ranged from 20% to 60%.
2. The most frequent occurrence was Klebsiella, followed by Pseudomonas, Enterobacter and Citrobacter in that order.
3. GNB of same genus could be trailed either continuously or intermittently in many individual cases. In the case of Klebsiella and Pseudomonas, identifications were done by means of K-antigen typing and T-serotyping, respectively.
4. Susceptibility tests of isolated GNB to CP, TC, SM, and KM revealed that the rate of SM-resistant bacilli reached as much as 52% and KM-resistant ones, 37%.
5. Only two cases with Serratia showed very long persistence of the organisms.
6. There were many cases in which GNB began to be isolated as early as one or two months after the admission to our hospital.
7. Patients who had had longer periods of hospitalization tended to become continual excreter of GNB.
8. In any cases, deteriolation of clinical symptoms which is thought to be due to abundant growth of GNB in the respiratory tracts was not encountered.