Demonstrationin Vitroof Postmortem Bacterial Transmigration

Abstract

The kinetics of the migration of intestinal bacterial flora to the peritoneal cavity upon death of the host was studied. A laboratory experiment that excluded any source of contamination was used. Samples of sterile saline solution in which a loop of the intestine was submerged were streaked onto blood agar at given intervals. Recovery of bacteria began after about 15 hours, with Staphylococcus aureus being the predominant organism. This organism showed a gradual decrease through a 36-hour period and at 48 hours was almost absent. In the same manner, other organisms such as gram-negative bacilli and spore-forming gram-positive bacilli gradually increased in numbers.

Comprehensive Postmortem Analyses of Intestinal Microbiota Changes and Bacterial Translocation in Human Flora Associated Mice

“…In a study by Saegeman and coworkers the highest rates of positive blood cultures taken from cadavers designated to organ transplantation were detected during the first 5 h p.m. (33%) proposing that rather inherent factors of the cadavers than the p.m. interval were responsible for time and extent of bacterial translocation into the blood [4]. This is well in line with a plethory of studies denying a correlation between time of necropsy and positivity of blood cultures [6], [29], [36], [37]. Of note, in the cited studies, corpses had been cooled as soon as possible upon arrival at the morgue, thereby minimizing bacterial overgrowth due to putrefaction.…”

“…Different ways of postmortem bacterial spread have been postulated: via blood and lymphatic vessels, mucocutanoeus surfaces, and “per continuitatem” through tissues as a consequence of compromized barrier and innate immune functions [7], [27], [28], [29]. Kellerman and coworkers demonstrated in vitro that bacteria are capable to invade through the intact human intestinal bowel wall within 12–15 h after death [29].…”

“…Kellerman and coworkers demonstrated in vitro that bacteria are capable to invade through the intact human intestinal bowel wall within 12–15 h after death [29]. In vivo postmortem bacterial translocation experiments were performed in rabbits and guinea pigs kept at different temperatures in the early 30 s of the last century [30], [31].…”

Characterisation of microbial attack on archaeological bone

“…Intestinal bacteria (Staphylococcus sp., Clostridium sp. and Escherichia coli) have been shown to invade the body as soon as 15 h post-mortem [29]. In soils without a large bacterial population, putrefaction can still be quite extensive, due to endogenous bacterial populations [25].…”

Studies on the metabolism of five model drugs by fungi colonizing cadavers using LC-ESI-MS/MS and GC-MS analysis

“…It is well-known that cadavers are colonized by microorganisms like bacteria and fungi which are present either as natural colonization or as contaminants from the place where the dead body was found [1][2][3][4][5][6][7]. This colonization may become important because the microbes can migrate from the mucosal surface to different body tissues and fluids, and potentially cause microbiological degradation of drugs and poisons affecting their concentrations and/or metabolic profiles in the body.…”