To date, we have examined nearly 60 clinical isolates of nontypable Haemophilus influenzae (26 nasopharyngeal, 33 from middle ear effusions) and have found that 100% were fimbriated. The percentage of cells bearing fimbriae within each isolate varied from less than 10 to 100%, with fimbriae being either peritrichous or bipolar in distribution. Fimbriae were approximately 2.4 to 3.6 nm in width; however, there was a high degree of variability in both length and number of fimbriae per individual bacterial cell among these isolates.All isolates tested adhered to both human oropharyngeal cells and chinchilla tracheal epithelium regardless of the degree to which the particular isolate was fimbriate. The level or degree of fimbriation did not correlate with either site of isolation, biotype, strength of hemagglutination reaction, or type of effusion present in the ear. These appendages appear to be quite different from those described for type b H. influenzae in which the ability to adhere and strength of ability to hemagglutinate correlated strongly with degree of fimbriation.

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Accidental ingestion and impaction of disc batteries in the esophagus has been a constant predictor of severe morbidity presumably due to leakage of highly caustic potassium or sodium hydroxide contained in these electric cells. Fewer than ten reports of esophageal burns from disc battery ingestion have appeared in the medical literature; an additional case involving ingestion of a mercury disc battery was recently encountered at the James Whitcomb Riley Hospital for Children, Indiana University School of Medicine. Two children died as a direct result of the impaction and resultant esophageal burn; six children experienced perforation of the esophagus, with four children developing tracheoesophageal fistulae. We report the ingestion of a 1.35-V mercury camera disc battery by a 10-month-old girl in whom a severe burn of the anterior midesophagus was noted 18 to 22 hours after impaction. The child subsequently developed a tracheoesophageal fistula and esophageal stricture at the site of the burn and required tracheotomy, closure of the fistula, partial esophagectomy and gastrostomy for eventual successful management. Stimulated by this experience, we have conducted an in vivo study of the time course and severity of esophageal burns resulting from alkaline and mercury battery ingestion in 15 cats. Mucosal damage can be seen as early as one hour after ingestion, rapidly progressing to involvement of all muscular layers by four hours. Removal of this foreign body should be assigned highest priority to prevent rapid development of these burns and the long-term sequelae mentioned above.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Accidental caustic ingestion in the pediatric age group continues to be a controversial and difficult problem. This retrospective study gives clinical support to treating this problem with early esophagoscopy, steroids, antibiotics and dilatation. Four hundred two patients were evaluated for possible caustic burn of the esophagus. Of the 70 patients who had esophageal burns demonstrated at esophagoscopy and who were treated with steroids, antibiotics and dilatation, none developed strictures. The two patients not treated in this fashion developed strictures.

Endotoxin concentrations were determined in middle-ear effusions (MEEs) from 89 children with chronic otitis media by using the Limulus amoebocyte lysate assay. Mean concentrations of endotoxin in Haemophilus influenzae-positive and Streptococcus pneumoniae-positive MEEs were 157 and 21.8 ng/ml, respectively, and were significanitly diffetrent (P < 0.01). Endotoxin was also found,in Gram stain-positive, culture-negative and