title: Sudden increase of vancomycin-resistant enterococcal infections in a Korean tertiary care hospital: possible consequences of increased use of oral vancomycin.
abstract: A sudden increase in vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) infections was noted in 1998 in a tertiary care hospital in Korea. All of the VRE isolated in 1998 in the hospital were VanA type and most were multidrug-resistant Enterococcus faecium. The increase in VRE was probably due to the increased use of oral vancomycin to treat Clostridium difficile infections and clonal as well as horizontal spread. More restricted oral vancomycin use and stricter infection control measures are required to achieve a better control of the spread of VRE.
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine, Soonchunhyang University Hospital, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Jeong Won
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.forename: Dongeun
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Yong
authors.forename: Myung Sook
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Kyung Hee
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Kyungwon
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: June Myung
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Yunsop
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chong
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D002675:Child, Preschool; D016360:Clostridioides difficile / Q000187:drug effects; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D016521:Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field; D016983:Enterococcus / Q000145:classification / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D016984:Enterococcus faecium / Q000145:classification / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004761:Enterocolitis, Pseudomembranous / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology; D005260:Female; D016908:Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D006786:Hospitals, Urban; D006801:Humans; D007723:Korea; D008297:Male; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D008875:Middle Aged; D010957:Plasmids; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014640:Vancomycin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D020713:Vancomycin Resistance / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D014640:Vancomycin