The Gram stain classifies most bacteria into one of two groups, Gram-negative or Gram-positive, based on the composition their cell walls [...]

Salton (J. Gen. Microbiol. 30:223, 1963) summarized the evidence which demonstrates that the gram-positive cell is able to retain the crystal violet after iodine treatment because of the characteristic nature of its cell wall. This evidence is highly convincing, yet it does not explain the experiments of Henry and Stacy (Proc. Roy. Soc. London Ser. B 133:391, 1946) or of Bartholomew and Umbreit...

This paper deals with an investigation of the effect of these reactions on bacteria. Not only the common staining behavior but also certain other similarities (Fischer et al., 1949; Fischer, 1951) between intact wool and gram negative bacteria, medium degraded wool and gram variable bacteria, as well as between highly degraded wool and gram positive bacteria suggested that reversal of gram stai...

OBJECTIVE The purpose of the study is to determine whether the Gram stain method is superior to the clinical criteria for the diagnosis of bacterial vaginosis in low-income pregnant women seen in a resident clinic setting. The clinical criteria is the current diagnostic method employed to diagnose bacterial vaginosis. STUDY DESIGN In this study, 51 pregnant women with vaginal discharge were p...

BACKGROUND The Gram stain has been used as an essential tool for antimicrobial stewardship in our hospital since the 1970s. The objective of this study was to clarify the difference in the targeted therapies selected based on the Gram stain and simulated empirical therapies based on the antimicrobial guidelines used in Japan. METHODS A referral-hospital-based prospective descriptive study was...

Results: Out of a total of 1970 specimens, 1094 (55.5 %) were positive by culture. A total of 1462 strains were isolated: 753 Gram positive (Gram+), 661 Gram negative (Gram-) and 48 anaerobic bacteria. The number of specimens yielding one, two or more different strains was 788, 244 and 62, respectively. Gram + bacteria, in 44.7 % of positive samples were a single isolate. The most commonly isol...

Several species of anaerobic bacteria display variable Gram stain reactions which often make identification difficult. A simple, rapid method utilizing a 3% solution of potassium hydroxide to distinguish between gram-positive and gram-negative bacterial was tested on 213 strains of anaerobic bacteria representing 19 genera. The Gram stain reaction and KOH test results were compared with the ant...