title: Relapse and reacquisition of rectal colonization by vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium after decolonization.
abstract: To better understand the epidemiology of colonization of vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE), we performed an 8-year retrospective study of all hospitalized patients with recurrent VRE colonization after they were documented as being clear of VRE and compared the primary colonization isolates and recolonization isolates by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis and Tn1546 typing. Review of the medical records of all patients showed that of the 15 patients with recurrent colonization, six continued to be hospitalized on the same floor. Five were discharged home and then readmitted. Four were moved to another floor. Patients who remained on the same floor were recolonized with a strain that was indistinguishable from the original colonizing strain. Patients who were moved or were discharged had de novo VRE colonization with strains distinct from the original colonizing strain.
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine, Ajou University School of Medicine, Youngtong-Gu, Suwon, Korea. weegyo@ajou.ac.kr
authors.forename: Wee Gyo
authors.initials: WG
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: I J
authors.initials: IJ
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: H Y
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.forename: M H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Park
mesh_terms: D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques; D002353:Carrier State / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D016172:DNA Fingerprinting; D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D016521:Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field; D016984:Enterococcus faecium / Q000145:classification / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D016908:Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology; D006761:Hospitals; D006801:Humans; D007723:Korea; D017720:Molecular Epidemiology; D012008:Recurrence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D020713:Vancomycin Resistance
chemical_list: D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D004269:DNA, Bacterial