INCIDENCE AND DETECTION OF MULTI-DRUG-RESISTANT ENTEROCOCCI IN DUBLINHOSPITALS

In February 1994, an outbreak of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus fae cium (VREM) occurred in the oncology unit of a Dublin hospital. Betwee n February and July 1994, VREM was isolated from 18 patients, one staf f member and 14 environmental sites within the unit. The isolates also had high-level aminoglycoside and penicillin resistance. Three pulsed -field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) types were identified, two of them f rom multiple patients and environmental sites. Plasmid typing allowed subdivision of PFGE types. A retrospective study of enterococci isolat ed from blood cultures between January 1991 and January 1994 showed th at, before the outbreak, fewer than 2% of isolates were vancomycin-res istant but that the incidence of high-level gentamicin resistance had increased from 17% to 60% and ampicillin resistance from 22% to 51%. A mong clinically significant non-blood-culture enterococci isolated bet ween September and December 1993, fewer than 1% were vancomycin-resist ant, 13% were ampicillin-resistant and 44% highly gentamicin-resistant . None produced beta-lactamase. High-content gentamicin disks (120 mu g) and low-content vancomycin disks (5 mu g) allowed simple, reliable detection of resistant enterococci. MICs of vancomycin and teicoplanin determined by agar dilution and E-test agreed well, but values tended to be slightly lower by E-test.