title: Epidemiological study of hospital-acquired infection with vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium: possible transmission by an electronic ear-probe thermometer.
abstract: Clonal spread of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium among seven patients on one ward of a community teaching hospital was identified by contour-clamped homogeneous electric-field gel electrophoresis. Environmental cultures isolated the same strain from the handle of a shared electronic ear-probe thermometer. Cross-contamination of the clonal strain between two geographically separate units on this ward, sharing equipment but not personnel, suggests the possibility of an environmental source.
authors.affiliation: St Francis Medical Center, Trenton, NJ 08629, USA.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Porwancher
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sheth
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Remphrey
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hinkle
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zervos
mesh_terms: D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000635:transmission; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D004352:Drug Resistance, Microbial; D016984:Enterococcus faecium / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004866:Equipment Contamination; D016908:Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000635:transmission; D006764:Hospitals, Community; D006784:Hospitals, Teaching; D006801:Humans; D013821:Thermometers / Q000382:microbiology*; D014640:Vancomycin / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D014640:Vancomycin