Pseudomonas Infections in Infants and Children

THE pseudomonas group of bacteria is composed of gram-negative, rod-shaped, motile organisms that characteristically produce a water-soluble pigment. They occur widely in nature. The type species Pseudomonas aeruginosa (Pseudomonas pyocyanea, Bacillus pyocyaneus) is pathogenic for man. It grows readily on all ordinary culture mediums. On agar it forms round, smooth, moist, glistening colonies that have a fluorescent yellow-green color, although much of the pigment diffuses into the medium, coloring it bluish green. Ps. aeruginosa is often regarded not as a cause of severe systemic disease, but rather as a local inhabitant of genitourinary, respiratory and skin lesions; unfortunately, increasing numbers . . .