Microbiology 9th Edition by Laura Black, Jacquelyn Black

Exercise 9

A microbiology student clad in shorts overturns his motor cycle on a patch of gravel. He sustains considerable abrasions and deep lacerations of the right leg. Emergency room personnel have great difficulty trying to remove embedded gravel and dirt. Many areas of infection develop, and dead tissue can be seen at the sites of abrasion. Are his infections most likely due to pathogens or opportunists? Why is it difficult to determine?