Relevance: The speed of the various identification schemes indicated above shows clearly that we would be able to provide accurate, quantitative identification (more accurate than by the conventional cultural approach) a great deal sooner than has been possible in the past. This should lead to much earlier application of the most appropriate therapy and minimize empiric use of our most powerful agents. This is likely to result in improved clinical outcome, less chance for antimicrobial resistance, and cost savings as well. It will provide us with a much more accurate picture of the infecting flora of various surgical wounds and the antimicrobial susceptibility pattern of these organisms. We will learn whether, as in burn wound infections, quantitative study of tissue biopsies will provide a better picture of the true infecting flora than conventional wound cultures. We will learn whether "uncultivable" bacteria (which actually make up the greatest percentage of the indigenous flora of the bowel and the upper respiratory tract) are important clinically or not. Finally, we will develop a more complete set of primers/probes to improve the molecular approach.