title: Emergence of Vancomycin-resistantEnterococciat a Teaching Hospital, Saudi Arabia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) are a major and emerging hospital-acquired pathogen associated with high mortality, particularly among the critically ill and Intensive Care Units (ICUs) patients. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and demographic and clinical characteristics of VRE among patients admitted to a university hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
  
  
  METHODS
  A study was conducted during the period from September 2014 to November 2015 at King Khalid University Hospital, a tertiary care hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, including in-patients with VRE infection. Data were collected using laboratory results and the medical records of admitted patients and were analyzed using SPSS version 19.0 statistical software.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In a one-year period, 231 enterococci were isolated from blood, urine, exudates, sputum, stool, and body fluid. There were 191 (82.7%) vancomycin-sensitive enterococci (VSE) and 40 (17.3%) isolates were VRE. The Enterococcus species included E. faecalis 168 (72.7%), E. faecium, 53 (22.8%) E. gallinarum 5 (2.2%), and E. avium 5 (2.2%). VRE were more significant from blood specimens (P< 0.0001) while VSE were significantly more predominant from urine specimens (P< 0.0001). VRE were more commonly isolated from patients in ICUs and oncology unit (P = 0.0151 and P< 0.001, respectively) while VSE were more predominant in the medical and surgical areas (P = 0.0178 and P = 0.0178, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study highlights the high prevalence of VRE in the hospital and the association of enterococcal infections with high-risk areas and oncology units, which warrant more studies looking for better management of these infections.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, College of Medicine, King Saud University and King Saud University Medical City, Riyadh 11461, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Fawzia E
authors.initials: FE
authors.lastname: Alotaibi
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric, Infectious Disease, College of Medicine, King Saud University and King Saud University Medical City, Riyadh 11461, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Elham E
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Bukhari
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D002675:Child, Preschool; D016983:Enterococcus / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D006784:Hospitals, Teaching; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D008875:Middle Aged; D012529:Saudi Arabia; D014640:Vancomycin / Q000494:pharmacology; D065507:Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococci / Q000187:drug effects / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D014640:Vancomycin