Microbiology Interview Question:

The laboratory reports that both blood cultures that are drawn from a 15 year old girl are growing Bacteroides fragilis. She was admitted to the hospital because of acute abdominal pain. You should be concerned that?

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* A. She has acute gastroenteritis and the organism is entering the blood from the inflamed bowel endothelial surface
* B. She has a bowel perforation and intraabdominal tissue destruction with impaired vascular flow
* C. She has gram negative sepsis and the Bacteroides is a contaminant
* D. She has pelvic inflammatory disease with gonorrhea, a sexually transmitted disease, and the Bacteroides is a contaminant

Correct Answer: B
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