Control of Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococcus
Authors: Robert A. Weinstein
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (1997)

Letters15 June 1997Control of Vancomycin-Resistant EnterococcusRobert A. Weinstein, MD, Mary Hayden, MD, and Sarah Slaughter, MDRobert A. Weinstein, MDCook County Hospital and Rush Medical College, Chicago, IL 60612Providence Hospital, Portland, OR 97213Search for more papers by this author, Mary Hayden, MDCook County Hospital and Rush Medical College, Chicago, IL 60612Providence Hospital, Portland, OR 97213Search for more papers by this author, and Sarah Slaughter, MDCook County Hospital and Rush Medical College, Chicago, IL 60612Providence Hospital, Portland, OR 97213Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-126-12-199706150-00018 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail IN RESPONSE:We agree with Dr. Lai's restatement of our findings. In addition, Dr. Lai asks specifically about the cost-effectiveness of rectal surveillance cultures in an intensive care unit in which vancomycin-resistant enterococci are already endemic.Most patients who are colonized by vancomycin-resistant enterococci never develop infections, and those who do also have multiple comorbid conditions that complicate the assessment of treatment costs. Moreover, the incremental benefit of surveillance cultures, beyond that of other control measures, is difficult to measure. Therefore, the cost-effectiveness of rectal surveillance cultures might be difficult to ascertain, even in the context of a prospective, controlled ...References1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Recommendations for preventing the spread of vancomycin resistance. Hospital Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee (HICPAC). Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 1995; 16:105-13. Google Scholar2. Elizaga ML, Beezhold D, Hayden MK, Rice T, Nathan C, Buccelli C, et al. The prevalence of colonization with vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) among hospitalized residents of long-term care facilities (LTCF) [Abstract]. In: Program of the 34th Annual Meeting of the Infectious Diseases Society of America, September 18-20, 1996, New Orleans, LA: 352. Google Scholar3. Bonten MJ, Hayden MK, Nathan C, Van Voorhis J, Matushek M, Slaughter S, et al. The epidemiology of patient colonization and environmental contamination with vancomycin-resistant enterococci: the challenge for infection control. Lancet. 1996; 348:1615-9. Google Scholar4. Lai KK, Fontecchio S, Kelley AL, Melvin ZS. When is it safe to take patients colonized with vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (VREF) off isolation? [Abstract] In: Program of the 35th Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, September 17-20, 1995, San Francisco, CA:J36. Google Scholar5. Garner JS. Hospital Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee. Guideline for isolation precautions in hospitals. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 1996; 17:53-80. Google Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: Cook County Hospital and Rush Medical College, Chicago, IL 60612Providence Hospital, Portland, OR 97213 PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Metrics 15 June 1997Volume 126, Issue 12Page: 1001KeywordsAntibioticsClinical trialsEnterococcus infectionsEpidemiologyHealth care providersHygieneIntensive care unitsNursing homesVancomycin resistant enterococcus Issue Published: 15 June 1997 CopyrightCopyright © 1997 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF DownloadLoading ...