Epidemiology of enterococci in a neonatal intensive care unit.
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.
Duchon
Jennifer
J
College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University, New York, New York, USA.
Graham Iii
Philip
P
Della-Latta
Phyllis
P
Whittier
Susan
S
Carp
Diane
D
Bateman
David
D
Saiman
Lisa
L
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