Bandemia in shigellosis

ABSTRACT

Bandemia is a phenomenon observed in infections caused by gram negative organisms, particulary of shigella species. The occurrence has not been quantitated as a diagnostic guideline implicating shigella organisms prior to availability of culture results. We have looked at bandemia in 55 patients with documented shigellosis and compared it to that in 36 non-shigella diarrhea cases. A 5% or more band cells in the peripheral blood smear is being proposed as a significant indicator of possibility of shigellosis given the proper clinical set up