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This lecture discusses Clostridium perfringens, the most common Clostridium species found in clinical specimens. Characterized by its "boxcar" shaped rods, C. perfringens is associated with sepsis originating from the large intestine. The lecture also covers C. septicum, known for rapid growth and chain formation, and highlights its importance in blood cultures. Additionally, C. clostridioforme, C. tertium, and C. spiroforme are briefly described, noting their laboratory identification and growth characteristics. Spores of these organisms are visualized and specific staining methods are discussed.
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This is C. perfringens(arrows) in mixed culture with Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae. C. perfringens is the most common species of Clostridium isolated from clinical specimens. C. perfringens spores are almost never seen; rods are described as “boxcar shaped” or rectangular and are generally larger than most bacteria. Clostridium perfringens
C. septicum is virtually always clinically significant when isolated in blood cultures. It is commonly associated with overwhelming sepsis originating from the large intestine. C. septicum grows very rapidly and forms elongated rods arranged in chains. Clostridium septicum
C. septicum can sporulate readily in wounds, so this organism would not be mistaken for C. perfringens. The spores in this photo are indicated with arrows. They appear as clear areas in the cell. Specific spore stains are also available to demonstrate these structures. Clostridium septicum—Gram stain of wound
C. clostridioforme is the second most common clostridium isolated in the clinical lab, although it is generally not associated with disease. Organisms typically stain gram-negative and are arranged as single cells or in pairs with tapering ends that resemble “cat eyes.” Clostridium clostridioforme
C. tertium is an anaerobe that characteristically stains gram-negative and can grow readily on plates incubated aerobically. A clue that this is not a typical gram-negative bacterium is that it will not grow on a MacConkey agar plate. If the isolate is subcultured onto both aerobic and anaerobic blood agar plates, it grows much better on the anaerobic plate and can form spores. Clostridium tertium
Clostridium spiroforme and Lactobacillus • C. spiroforme is a clostridium with an interesting curly shape. It is part of the normal colonic bacterial population and is not associated with disease. The other long, thin, gram-positive rods in this Gram stain of stool are lactobacilli. This is the typical morphology of Lactobacillus.
