Satellite streptococci. A major cause of "negative" blood cultures in bacterial endocarditis?
K. B. Roberts and M. J. Sidlak
In three of the 20 patients with bacterial endocarditis in our institution
since 1975, satellite streptococci were recovered from the blood stream
(15%). These organisms do not grow under usual laboratory conditions and
may only be demonstrable after fortuitous contamination of the media.
Clinicians and microbiologists must be alert to the possibility of
satellite streptococci in patients with suspected bacterial endocarditis,
and measures should be instituted to identify the organism.
