Ma. Montecalvo et al., Infection-control measures reduce transmission of vancomycin-resistant enterococci in an endemic setting, ANN INT MED, 131(4), 1999, pp. 269-272
Citations number
17
Categorie Soggetti
General & Internal Medicine","Medical Research General Topics
Background: Vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) are nosocomial pathogens
in many U.S. hospitals.
Objective: To determine whether enhanced infection-control strategies reduc
e transmission of VRE in an endemic setting.
Design: Prospective cohort study.
Setting: Adult oncology inpatient unit.
Patients: 259 patients evaluated during use of enhanced infection-control s
trategies and 184 patients evaluated during use of standard infection-contr
ol practices.
Interventions: Patient surveillance cultures were taken, patients were assi
gned to geographic cohorts, nurses were assigned to patient cohorts, gowns
and gloves were worn on room entry, compliance with infection-control proce
dures was monitored, patients were educated about VRE transmission, patient
s taking antimicrobial agents were evaluated by an infectious disease speci
alist, and environmental surveillance was performed.
Measurements: VRE infection rates, VRE colonization rates, and changes in a
ntimicrobial use.
Results: During use of enhanced infection-control strategies, incidence of
VRE bloodstream infections decreased significantly (0.45 patients per 1000
patient-days compared with 2.1 patients per 1000 patient-days; relative rat
e ratio, 0.22 [95% CI, 0.05 to 0.92]; P = 0.04), as did VRE colonization (1
0.3 patients per 1000 patient-days compared with 20.7 patients per 1000 pat
ient-days; relative rate ratio, 0.5 [CI, 0.33 to 0.75]; P < 0.001). Use of
all antimicrobial agents except clindamycin and amikacin was significantly
reduced.
Conclusion: Enhanced infection-control strategies reduced VRE transmission
in an oncology unit in which VRE were endemic.