Nosocomial outbreak of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium at a German University Pediatric Hospital

Citation
Ha. Elsner et al., Nosocomial outbreak of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium at a German University Pediatric Hospital, INT J HYG E, 203(2), 2000, pp. 147-152
Citations number
28
Categorie Soggetti
Medical Research General Topics
Journal title
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HYGIENE AND ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH
ISSN journal
14384639 → ACNP
Volume
203
Issue
2
Year of publication
2000
Pages
147 - 152
Database
ISI
SICI code
1438-4639(200010)203:2<147:NOOVEF>2.0.ZU;2-H
Abstract
Nosocomial Infections caused by vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) are an emerging threat to critically ill patients. At the University Hospital E ppendorf, VRE were isolated from 38 patients between August 1993 and April 1997, of whom 32 were hospitalized at the Department of Pediatrics. Pulsed- field gel electrophoresis revealed that 26 Enterococcus faecium isolates fr om patients of the Department of Pediatrics were identical or closely relat ed, and that isolates from three additional patients of the same department were possibly related. All of these isolates were of vanA genotype. They w ere resistant to glycopeptides, ampicillin, ciprofloxacin, clindamycin, and erythromycin. Most isolates displayed high-level resistance to gentamicin, but all remained susceptible to quinupristin/dalfopristin. Implementation of stringent hand disinfection and environmental disinfection policies, as well as measures for patient isolation contained this first outbreak of VRE at a German Children's hospital, which emphasizes the importance of hygien ic measures for the control of nosocomial spread of these organisms.