title: Selective medium for screening for vancomycin-resistant enterococci in faeces.
abstract: Infections caused by vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) are becoming increasingly prevalent throughout the world. Control measures include detection and isolation of carriers of VRE. A selective medium to detect faecal carriage of VRE is described. The medium has a high productivity ratio (90.4%) for VRE with VanA resistance phenotype, a moderate productivity ratio (79.2%) for VRE with VanB resistance phenotype, and a relatively low productivity ratio (65.5%) for VRE with VanC resistance phenotype. There was no breakthrough of vancomycin-susceptible enterococci. The medium selected the growth of all three types of VRE, which were used to spike faecal specimens. In a limited clinical trial, six faecal specimens of carriers and contacts were screened using the selective medium. Vancomycin-resistant enterococci (Enterococcus faecalis, VanA phenotype) were detected in four of the specimens. In all four specimens the growth of VRE was nearly pure and easily identifiable.
authors.affiliation: Lewisham Hospital, NHS Trust, London, UK.
authors.forename: G G
authors.initials: GG
authors.lastname: Rao
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ghanekar
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ojo
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003470:Culture Media; D004352:Drug Resistance, Microbial; D016983:Enterococcus / Q000187:drug effects*; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology; D016908:Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections / Q000188:drug therapy; D006801:Humans; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D014640:Vancomycin / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D003470:Culture Media; D014640:Vancomycin