False-Positive Gram Stains of Cerebrospinal Fluid

Letters1 October 1973False-Positive Gram Stains of Cerebrospinal FluidDANIEL M. MUSHER, M.D., RONALD F. SCHELL, PH.D.DANIEL M. MUSHER, M.D., RONALD F. SCHELL, PH.D.Author, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-79-4-603 SectionsAboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail ExcerptTo the editor: Interpretation of the Gram stain of cerebrospinal fluid in meningitis frequently determines the initial choice of antibiotics. Even when properly done, a Gram stain may give misleading information of two kinds: [1] it may not show bacteria in the cerebrospinal fluid of a patient with documented bacterial meningitis (false-negative); or [2] it may show microorganisms that were not in the cerebrospinal fluid—these "false-positives" have received less attention in the clinical literature. Table 1 summarizes data on four cases of meningitis in which a false-positive Gram stain caused confusion early in treatment. We also report observations on the... This content is PDF only. To continue reading please click on the PDF icon. Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: Infectious Disease Section Veterans Administration Hospital Houston, Texas PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Metrics Cited byThe Spinal Tap: A New Look at an Old TestKEITH I. MARTON, M.D., ALISA D. GEAN, M.D. 1 October 1973Volume 79, Issue 4Page: 603-604KeywordsCerebrospinal fluid Issue Published: 1 October 1973 PDF downloadLoading ...