Identification of Micrococcaceae in Clinical Bacteriology

The cellular morphology, identifying physiological characteristics, and a key to the human genera of Micrococcaceae are presented with flow charts for identification of aerobic and anaerobic isolates. These flow charts can be amended as desired, depending upon the degree of accuracy desired. Micrococcaceae isolates in a 350-bed private general hospital during a 15-week period are tabulated to show relative numbers of the different genera and species, with their probable relationship to infection or contamination. Only 11 of the 220 Micrococcaceae isolates were not Staphylococcus; no Sarcina or Peptococcus were isolated. Of the Staphylococcus isolates, 61% were S. epidermidis. Almost 18% of the S. aureus isolates were coagulase-negative. Of the S. aureus isolates, 80% of the coagulase-positive isolates were infecting agents, as were 67% of the coagulase-negative S. aureus isolates, compared to only 48% of S. epidermidis isolates. Two of four Gaffkya isolates but only one of seven Micrococcus isolates were infecting agents. If coagulase production is used as the sole criterion for speciation of staphylococci, and Micrococcus is not differentiated from Staphylococcus, the term "coagulase-negative staphylococci" does not differentiate three distinct levels of pathogenicity. Coagulase-negative S. aureus is more virulent than S. epidermidis or Gaffkya, which are more virulent than Micrococcus or Sarcina.