Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-rcrh6 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-30T23:47:36.208Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

The Epidemiology and Control of VRE: Still Struggling to Come of Age

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2015

C. Glen Mayhall*
Affiliation:
Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Galveston, Texas
*
Division of Infectious Diseases, 301 University Blvd, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Image of the first page of this content. For PDF version, please use the ‘Save PDF’ preceeding this image.'
Type
Editorial
Copyright
Copyright © The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America 1999

References

1. Uttley, AH, Collins, CH, Naidoo, J, George, RC. Vancomycin-resistant enterococci. Lancet 1988;1:5758.Google Scholar
2. Bush, LM, Calmon, J, Cherney, CL, Wendeler, M, Pitsakis, P, Poupard, J, et al. High-level penicillin resistance among isolates of enterococci. Implications for treatment of enterococcal infections. Ann Intern Med 1989;110:515520.Google Scholar
3. Zervos, MJ, Kauffman, CA, Therasse, PM, Bergman, AG, Mikeseil, TS, Schaberg, DR. Nosocomial infection by gentamicin-resistant Streptococcus faecalis. An epidemiologic study. Ann Intern Med 1987;106:687691.Google Scholar
4. Noskin, GA, Till, M, Patterson, BK, Clarke, JT, Warren, JR, High-level gentamicin resistance in Enterococcus faecalis bacteremia. J Infect Dis 1991;164:12121215.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
5. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Nosocomial enterococci resistant to vancomycin—United States, 1989-1993. MMWR 1993;42:597599.Google Scholar
6. Uttley, AH, George, RC, Naidoo, J, Woodford, N, Johnson, AP, Collins, CH, et al. High-level vancomycin-resistant enterococci causing hospital infections. Epidemiol Infect 1989;103:173181.Google Scholar
7. Karanfil, LV, Murphy, M, Josephson, A, Gaynes, R, Mandel, L, Hill, BC, et al. A cluster of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium in an intensive care unit. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 1992;13:195200.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
8. Livornese, LL Jr, Dias, S, Samel, C, Romanowski, B, Taylor, S, May, P, et al. Hospital-acquired infection with vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium transmitted by electronic thermometers. Ann Intern Med 1992;117:112116.Google Scholar
9. Rubin, LG, Tucci, V, Cercenado, E, Eliopoulos, G, Isenberg, HD. Vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium in hospitalized children. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 1992;13:700705.Google Scholar
10. Boyle, JF, Soumakis, SA, Rendo, A, Herrington, JA, Gianarkis, DG, Thurberg, BE, et al. Epidemiologic analysis and genotypie characterization of a nosocomial outbreak of vancomycin-resistant enterococci. J Clin Microbiol 1993;31:12801285.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
11. Handwerger, S, Raucher, B, Altarac, D, Monka, J, Marcinone, S, Singh, KV, et al. Nosocomial outbreak due to Enterococcus faecium highly resistant to vancomycin, penicillin, and gentamicin. Clin Infect Dis 1993;16:750755.Google Scholar
12. Boyce, JM, Opal, SM, Chow, JW, Zervos, MJ, Potter-Bynoe, G, Sherman, CB, et al. Outbreak of multidrug-resistant Enterococcus faecium with transferable vanB class vancomycin resistance. J Clin Microbiol 1994;32:11481153.Google Scholar
13. Montecalvo, MA, Horowitz, H, Gedris, C, Carbonaro, C, Tenover, FC, Issah, A, et al. Outbreak of vancomycin-, ampicillin-, and aminoglycoside-resis-tant Enterococcus faecium bacteremia in an adult oncology unit. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 1994;38:13631367.Google Scholar
14. Jordens, JZ, Bates, J, Griffiths, DT. Faecal carriage and nosocomial spread of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium . J Antimicrob Chemother 1994;34:515528.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
15. Hospital Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee. Recommendations for preventing the spread of vancomycin resistance. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 1995;16:105113.Google Scholar
16. Morris, JG Jr, Shay, DK, Hebden, JN, McCarter, RJ Jr, Perdue, BE, Jarvis, W, et al. Enterococci resistant to multiple antimicrobial agents, including vancomycin. Establishment of endemicity in a university medical center. Ann Intern Med 1995;123:250259.Google Scholar
17. Slaughter, S, Hayden, MK, Nathan, C, Hu, TC, Rice, T, van Voorhis, J, et al. A comparison of the effect of universal use of gloves and gowns with that of glove use alone on acquisition of vancomycin-resistant enterococci in a medical intensive care unit. Ann Intern Med 1996;125:448456.Google Scholar
18. Tornieporth, NG, Roberts, RB, John, J, Hafner, A, Riley, LW. Risk factors associated with vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium infection or colonization in 145 matched case patients and control patients. Clin Infect Dis 1996;23:767772.Google Scholar
19. Bonten, MJ, Slaughter, S, Ambergen, AW, Hayden, MK, van Voorhis, J, Nathan, C, et al. The role of “colonization pressure” in the spread of vancomycin-resistant enterococci. An important infection control variable. Arch Intern Med 1998;158:11271132.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
20. Garbutt, JM, Littenberg, B, Evanoff, BA, Sahm, D, Mundy, LM. Enteric carriage of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium in patients tested for Clostridium difficile . Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 1999;20:664670.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
21. Noskin, GA, Stosor, V, Cooper, I, Peterson, LR. Recovery of vancomycin-resistant enterococci on fingertips and environmental surfaces. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 1995;16:577581.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
22. Bonilla, HF, Zervos, MJ, Kauffman, CA. Long-term survival of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium on a contaminated surface. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 1996;17:770772.Google Scholar
23. Bonten, MJ, Hayden, MK, Nathan, C, van Voorhis, J, Matushek, M, Slaughter, S, et al. Epidemiology of colonisation of patients and environment with vancomycin-resistant enterococci. Lancet 1996;348:16151619.Google Scholar
24. Ford, M, Perry, JD, Gould, FK, Orr, KE. Neomycin blood agar as a selective medium for vancomycin resistant Enterococcus faecium . J Clin Pathol 1996;49:437.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
25. Smith, TL, Iwen, PC, Olson, SB, Rupp, ME. Environmental contamination with vancomycin-resistant enterococci in an outpatient setting. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 1998;19:515518.Google Scholar
26. Wells, CL, Juni, BA, Cameron, SB, Mason, KR, Dunn, DL, Ferrieri, P, et al. Stool carriage, clinical isolation, and mortality during an outbreak of vancomycin-resistant enterococci in hospitalized medical and/or surgical patients. Clin Infect Dis 1995;21:4550.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
27. Bonilla, HF, Zervos, MA, Lyons, MJ, Bradley, SF, Hedderwick, SA, Ramsey, MA, et al. Colonization with vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium: comparison of a long-term-care unit with an acute-care hospital. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 1997;18:333339.Google Scholar
28. Austin, DJ, Bonten, MJ, Weinstein, RA, Slaughter, S, Anderson, RM. Vancomycin-resistant enterococci in intensive-care hospital settings: transmission dynamics, persistence, and the impact of infection control programs. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 1999;96:69086913.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
29. Carmeli, Y, Venkataraman, L, DeGirolami, PC, Lichtenberg, DA, Karchmer, AW, Samore, MH. Stool colonization of healthcare workers with selected resistant bacteria. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 1998;19:3840.Google Scholar