Actinomyces israelii

Question 1

Physical description of A. israelii

Answer 1

• G positive
• branching, fragmenting filaments
• facultative anaerobes, prefer elevated CO2
• produce molar tooth colonies

Question 2

Clinical presentation of A. israelii

Answer 2

• swollen, pyogenic abscess with draining fisulae
• common sites include cervicofacial, thoracic, abdominal, skin
• sulfur granules; apparent in collected pus, or by rinsing gauze used to drain an abscess; clump of A.I. surrounded by PMN

Question 3

Epidemiology of A. israelii

Answer 3

• part of normal mouth and gut flora
• cervicofacial infection from tooth extraction or poor oral hygiene
• thoracic infection from aspiration
• abdominal infection from perforated gut or ruptured appendix
• foot infection from bacterial in soil
• not communicable

Question 4

Control of A. israelii

Answer 4

• surgical drainage of abscess
• parenteral penicillin G, followed by oral treatment
• tetracycline, erythromycin, clindamycin
• prophylactin penicillin if recurring infection