COMPARISON OF RECTAL AND PERIRECTAL SWABS FOR DETECTION OF COLONIZATION WITH VANCOMYCIN-RESISTANT ENTEROCOCCI

Patients whose gastrointestinal tracts are colonized with vancomycin-r esistant enterococci (VRE) may serve as a reservoir for nosocomial tra nsmission, We compared the sensitivities and concordance of several me thods used to detect VRE colonization, Eighty-two paired rectal and pe rirectal swabs were obtained from 13 patients over a 9-day period, The sensitivity of both rectal and perirectal swabs was 79%. There was 10 0% concordance of culture results between simultaneously obtained rect al and perirectal swabs, and the quantities of growth were similar by these two methods of detection, Our data suggest that rectal and perir ectal swabs are equally sensitive for the detection of VRE colonizatio n.