title: Proactive infection control measures to prevent nosocomial transmission of vancomycin-resistant enterococci in Hong Kong.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The study describes a proactive infection control approach to prevent nosocomial transmission of vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) and tests if this approach is effective for controlling multiple-drug resistant organisms in a nonendemic setting.
  
  
  METHODS
  In response to the increasing prevalence of VRE in Hong Kong since 2011, we adopted a multifaceted assertive approach in our health care network. This included active surveillance culture, extensive contact tracing, directly observed hand hygiene in conscious patients before they received meals and medications, stringent hand hygiene and environmental cleanliness, and an immediate feedback antimicrobial stewardship program. We report the occurrence of VRE outbreaks in our hospital after institution of these measures and compared with the concurrent occurrence in other public hospitals in Hong Kong.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Between July 1, 2011 and November 13, 2013, VRE was identified in 0.32% (50/15,851) of admission episodes by active surveillance culture. The risk of VRE carriage was three times higher in patients with a history of hospitalization outside our hospital networks in the past 3 months (0.56% vs. 0.17%; p = 0.001) compared with those who were not. Extensive contact tracing involving 3277 patient episodes was performed in the investigation for the 25 VRE index patients upon whom implementation of contact precautions was delayed (more than 48 hours of hospitalization). One episode of VRE outbreak was identified in our hospital network, compared with the 77 VRE outbreaks reported in the other hospital networks (controls) without these proactive infection control measures.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our multifaceted assertive proactive infection control approach can minimize the nosocomial transmission and outbreak of VRE in a nonendemic area.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Queen Mary Hospital, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China; Infection Control Team, Queen Mary Hospital, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China.
authors.forename: Vincent Chi-Chung
authors.initials: VC
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.affiliation: Infection Control Team, Queen Mary Hospital, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China.
authors.forename: Josepha Wai-Ming
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Tai
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Queen Mary Hospital, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China.
authors.forename: Jonathan Hon-Kwan
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Queen Mary Hospital, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China.
authors.forename: Simon Yung-Chun
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: So
authors.affiliation: Community Geriatric Assessment Team, Fung Yiu King Hospital, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China.
authors.forename: Wing-Chun
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Ng
authors.affiliation: Carol Yu Centre for Infection, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China.
authors.forename: Ivan Fan-Ngan
authors.initials: IF
authors.lastname: Hung
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Queen Mary Hospital, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China.
authors.forename: Sally Sau-Man
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Leung
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Queen Mary Hospital, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China.
authors.forename: Sally Cheuk-Ying
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.affiliation: Community Geriatric Assessment Team, Fung Yiu King Hospital, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China.
authors.forename: Tuen-Ching
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.affiliation: Community Geriatric Assessment Team, Fung Yiu King Hospital, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China.
authors.forename: Felix Hon-Wai
authors.initials: FH
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Queen Mary Hospital, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China; Carol Yu Centre for Infection, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China.
authors.forename: Pak-Leung
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Ho
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Queen Mary Hospital, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China; Carol Yu Centre for Infection, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China. Electronic address: kyyuen@hkucc.hku.hk.
authors.forename: Kwok-Yung
authors.initials: KY
authors.lastname: Yuen
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016358:Contact Tracing; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000635:transmission; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D005260:Female; D016908:Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000635:transmission; D063373:Hand Hygiene / Q000592:standards; D006723:Hong Kong; D006779:Hospitals, Public / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D017053:Infection Control / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D065507:Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococci
keywords: contact tracing; proactive infection control; screening; vancomycin-resistant enterococci