title: Epidemiology of enterococci in a neonatal intensive care unit.
abstract: We performed an epidemiological investigation of a 62-bed neonatal intensive care unit in response to 2 infants with clinical cultures positive for vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE). Surveillance cultures detected 11 infants colonized with VRE. Surveillance triggered by even a single clinical culture positive for VRE may be justified in the neonatal intensive care unit, because a single culture result may represent a large hidden reservoir of VRE-colonized infants.
authors.affiliation: College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University, New York, New York, USA.
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Duchon
authors.forename: Philip
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Graham Iii
authors.forename: Phyllis
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Della-Latta
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Whittier
authors.forename: Diane
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Carp
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bateman
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Saiman
mesh_terms: D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology*; D016521:Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field; D016983:Enterococcus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology; D016908:Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007363:Intensive Care Units, Neonatal; D016015:Logistic Models; D009519:New York City / Q000453:epidemiology; D012007:Rectum / Q000382:microbiology; D012307:Risk Factors; D018571:Sentinel Surveillance; D020713:Vancomycin Resistance