A comprehensive study on the organisms causing cholecystitis

Background: Cholecystitis either acute or chronic is predominantly caused by gut bacteria. The etiology can be rarely due to other organisms. There is well documented evidence on the incidence of common organisms causing cholecystitis in western countries but it cannot be typically extrapolated to our set up and need to be evaluated. Aim: The aim of this study was to study the incidence, assess risk factors and evaluate the severity of cholecystitis caused by various organisms in patients coming to Govt. Stanley Hospital. Materials and methods: This was a prospective study consisting of 50 patients diagnosed as cholecystitis (calculous/ acalculous) who underwent laparoscopic or open cholecystectomy in our institution. With all aseptic precautions intra-operatively bile was aspirated from gall bladder and inoculated in culture media appropriately to detect the possible organisms. Results: Bile cultures grew bacterium in 48 of 50 patients. 32 patients’ cultures were positive for aerobes. 11 patients grew anaerobes. 5 patients had mixed flora. Among the mixed flora, 2 had only aerobes and the remaining had both aerobes and anaerobes. 2 patients had no growth in their cultures Conclusion: E.coli was found to be the commonest organism in our study as already been reported elsewhere. Klebsiella was the second commonest overall and among the aerobes. Bacteroids fragilis are the commonest anaerobes to be grown in the cultures.