title: Effect of hospitalization on the antibiotic resistance of fecal Enterococcus faecalis of surgical patients over time.
abstract: The prevalence of antibiotic resistant Enterococcus faecalis was determined in fecal samples of 263 patients admitted to the surgical wards of three university-affiliated hospitals on admission, at discharge, and at 1 and 6 months after discharge. A slight increase in the prevalence of antibiotic resistance of E. faecalis was found at discharge for the antibiotics tested compared to those on admission, vancomycin excepted. At 6 months after discharge, the prevalence of resistance for amoxicillin (0%), ciprofloxacin (3%), erythromycin (47%), and oxytetracycline (60%) decreased to the level on admission (respectively 0%, 8%, 45%, and 64%). Gentamicin resistance was the same at discharge (10%) as 1 month later (12%), but decreased 6 months after discharge (8%) to the level on admission (7%). In conclusion, hospitalization resulted in the study population in a slight increase in the prevalence of resistant fecal E. faecalis isolates at discharge, which decreased again (slowly) to the level on admission 6 months after discharge. Thus, the influence of hospitalization on the prevalence of antibiotic resistance in the extramural situation disappears between 1 and 6 months after discharge in this population.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Microbiology, University Hospital Maastricht, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nys
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Bruinsma
authors.forename: P M G
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Filius
authors.forename: A E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: van den Bogaard
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hoffman
authors.forename: P H W
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Terporten
authors.forename: A C M
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Wildeboer-Veloo
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Degener
authors.forename: H P
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Endtz
authors.forename: E E
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Stobberingh
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial; D013293:Enterococcus faecalis / Q000187:drug effects*; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology*; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D008875:Middle Aged