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Related Experiment Videos

Vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium in a long-term care facility

C Brennen1, M M Wagener, R R Muder

  • 1VA Medical Center and the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pennsylvania 15240, USA.

Journal of the American Geriatrics Society
|February 25, 1998
PubMed
Summary
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Long-term care patients often carry vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (VREF) for extended periods. Antimicrobial treatment may prolong VREF carriage, but infection risk remains low.

Area of Science:

  • Infectious Diseases
  • Epidemiology
  • Healthcare-Associated Infections

Background:

  • Vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (VREF) colonization is a concern in healthcare settings.
  • Understanding VREF epidemiology and natural history in long-term care facilities (LTCFs) is crucial for infection control.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To describe the epidemiology and natural history of VREF colonization in an LTCF.
  • To inform infection control strategies within LTCFs.

Main Methods:

  • Prospective follow-up of VREF-positive patients with serial rectal swab cultures.
  • Prevalence surveys conducted on an intermediate care ward.
  • Surveillance for VREF infections over 2.5 years.

Main Results:

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  • VREF was identified in 24 of 36 transferred patients; 17 had concurrent MRSA, 7 had recent C. difficile.
  • VREF carriage persisted for a median of 67 days; antimicrobial treatment prolonged carriage.
  • Low rates of VREF acquisition (3 instances) and a single case of bacteremia (in a non-colonized patient) were observed.

Conclusions:

  • LTCF patients exhibit prolonged VREF carriage, with most clearing over time.
  • Antimicrobial therapy is associated with extended VREF carriage duration.
  • The risk of VREF infection is low in this population, and transmission is limited with precautions.