Rapid detection of bacteremia in mice by gas chromatography.

Gas chromatography of the serum of mice inoculated 6 hr earlier with Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli K-12, and Clostridium chauvoei revealed the formation of products associated with the infections. Longer periods were required before compounds resulting from infecting the animals with Salmonella typhimurium and other Clostridium species were detected by gas chromatographic means. The technique is sensitive to the presence of metabolites elaborated in vivo as a result of the presence of 100 to 35,000 cells. Each bacterial species caused the formation of distinctive compounds in infected mice, and substances chromatographically identical to these products were generated by the microorganisms in vitro as well.