Outbreak of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium in a neonatal intensive care unit.
An outbreak of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium involving 28 infants in a neonatal intensive care unit was observed. Successful control of the outbreak was achieved following use of patient and staff cohorting, contact isolation precautions, patient and environmental surveillance cultures, environmental decontamination, molecular typing, introduction of an alcohol-based hand disinfectant, and decreased use of vancomycin.
Rupp
M E
ME
Department of Internal Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha 68198-4031, USA.
Marion
N
N
Fey
P D
PD
Bolam
D L
DL
Iwen
P C
PC
Overfelt
C M
CM
Chapman
L
L
D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D016984:Enterococcus faecium / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D016908:Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D017053:Infection Control / Q000379:methods; D007363:Intensive Care Units, Neonatal; D020713:Vancomycin Resistance