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. 2023 Dec 1;38(1):275. doi: 10.1007/s00384-023-04562-y

Table 3.

Bacterial findings

Author Type of surgery Collagenase bacteria Other results Comments
Anderson et al. [34] Colon or rectal resection

Present in 73.7% of AL patients

E. faecalis present in 36.8% of AL patients

 -
Baker et al. [35] Colon or rectal resection Clostridioides difficile

AL with CDI 3.52%

AL without CDI 1.44%

CDI increases risk of AL (OR 2.39; 95%CI 1.70–3.36; p < 0.001)
Bilgin et al. [36] Rectal resection Proteus spp. and Klebsiella pneumoniae were found only in AL patients AL patients culture-positive on POD1 (28.6%), POD3 (42.9%), and POD5 (85.7%), compared with 9.3%, 7%, and 11.6% in non-AL All AL occurred in patients with stapled anastomosis (p = 0.325)
Calu et al. [37] Colon or rectal resection, or colectomy Clostridium difficile

AL in 68.4% who developed CDI after surgery

AL was associated with CDI

(RR 13.7; 95%CI 7.68–24.5; p < 0.0001)

AL patients all had left-sided or rectal resection
Fouda et al. [38] Rectal resection E. coli, Klebsiella, Bacteroides ↑ and Pseudomonas spp. ↑ in AL vs. non-AL group 85% of non-AL patients had negative cultures, and the remaining 7 only limited growth of E. coli, Klebsiella and Pseudomonas -
Jin et al. [39] Colon resection Bacteroides spp.

AL-patients: Romboustia, Blautia, Bacteroides and Eggerthella ↑, Clostridium sensu stricto 1, Ruminococcus gnavus

Non-AL patients: Lactobacillus and Comamonas genera both ↑

Alpha-diversity of postoperative fecal samples was significantly higher in the AL group vs. non-AL group
Komen et al. [40] Colon or rectal resection, or colectomy

E. faecalis ↑ on POD2-4

E. coli ↑ on POD4-5

No presence of E. faecalis on POD3, had a high negative predictive value (99%) and sensitivity (93%) for later AL False positive results could be due to subclinical AL
Li et al. [41] Colon or rectal resection No

AL-group: Corynebacterium suicordis, Porphyromonas asaccharolytica, Vibrio diazotrophicus, and Clostridium leptum all ↑

Non-AL group: Alistipes shahii and Dialister pneumosintes were both ↑, and not found in the AL group

Notably, 4 out of 7 cases of AL were from right-sided anastomosis
Lohsiriwat et al. [42] Colon or rectal resection, or colectomy Enterococcus, Pseudomonas and Klebsiella spp. Of 55 cultures from AL patients; 51 cultures showed 1 or more bacteria -
Mima et al. [43] Colon or rectal resection Increased risk of AL with increased amounts of Bifidobacterium (OR 3.96, 95% CI 1.50–10.51) Association between Fusobacterium nucleatum, E. coli, or E. faecalis with AL was not significant -
Palmisano et al. [44] Colon or rectal resection No

AL-patients: Acinetobacter lwoffii and Acinetobacter johnsonii present (absent in non-AL patients)

Hafnia alvei ↑, Faecalibacterium prausnitzii

Non-AL patients: Barnesiella intestinihominis present (absent in AL patients)

Three species (Anaerostipes caccae, Clostridium clariflavum, and Roseburia inulinivorans) were found in males, but practically absent in females
Reuvers et al. [45] Colon or rectal resection No Infectious complications were reduced with Proteobacteria
Sparreboom et al. [46] Rectal resection No difference in E. coli or E. faecalis levels on POD1-3 in drainage fluid among AL vs. non-AL patients - AL with or without diverting ileostomy (11.4% vs. 14.9%; p = 0.371)
Tominaga et al. [47] Colon or rectal resection

Occult leakage:

P. aeruginosa (28.6%), E. faecalis (42.9%)

Culture-positive:

Enterobacter cloacae (11.3%)

Occult leakage:

Enterobacter cloacae (50%)

Culture-positive:

P. aeruginosa (21.0%),

E. faecalis (19.4%)

Drain fluid on POD6 was used for Gram staining (GS) and culture

GS-positive patients had a pelvic CT-scan

van Praagh et al. [48] Colon or rectal resection No

AL vs. non-AL group: Lachnospiraceae (40% vs. 27%; p = 0.010), Bacteroidaceae (28% vs. 17%; p = 0.008), and Blautia obeum (7% vs. 3%; p = 0.005)

Presence of Prevotella copri, Streptococcus genus, and Eubacterium biforme was associated with a reduced risk of AL

The study presented a model for the prediction of AL, based on levels of Lachnospiraceae, Bacteroidaceae, and Simpson diversity score

AL anastomotic leakage, CDI Clostridioides difficile, OR odds ratio, CI confidence interval, POD postoperative day, RR relative risk