Outbreak of vancomycin-resistant enterococci in a tertiary hospital: the lack of effect of measures directed mainly by surveillance cultures and differences in response between Enterococcus faecium and Enterococcus faecalis.
To describe the effect of active surveillance to control vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) after an outbreak, 549 surveillance rectal cultures were performed in 308 patients (35% positive). An educational intervention to prevent transmission was implemented. Infection and colonization by VR- Enterococcus faecalis decreased, but Enterococcus faecium persisted despite control measures. Infections by VR-E faecalis fell to zero in 2008. We observed difficulties in controlling colonization with measures directed mainly by surveillance cultures and differences between responses of E faecium and E faecalis.
Pereira
Graziella H
GH
Infection Control Department of Hospital Brigadeiro of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
Müller
Patrícia R
PR
Zanella
Rosemeire C
RC
de Jesus Castro Lima
Marisa
M
Torchio
Dionisio Setaro
DS
Levin
Anna S
AS
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004203:Disinfection; D013293:Enterococcus faecalis / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D016984:Enterococcus faecium / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D062665:Epidemiological Monitoring; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology; D016908:Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000635:transmission; D006235:Hand Disinfection; D006779:Hospitals, Public; D006801:Humans; D017053:Infection Control / Q000379:methods*; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D010356:Patient Isolation; D011159:Population Surveillance; D055512:Tertiary Prevention; D014640:Vancomycin / Q000494:pharmacology; D020713:Vancomycin Resistance
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D014640:Vancomycin