J Korean Soc Parenter Enter Nutr.  2007 Dec;1(1):13-18. 10.15747/jkspen.2007.1.1.13.

The Antimicrobial Resistance of Nosocomial Enterococcus faecium Infection in Patients Received Probiotics Containing Enterococcus faecium

• Kim JW

• KMID: 1838765
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.15747/jkspen.2007.1.1.13

Abstract

PURPOSE
Probiotics are live microorganisms that confer a health benefit to the host when administered in adequate amounts. The bacteria used as probiotics in Korea are Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterum, Enterococcus, Bacillus and Clostridium. Enterococci form part of the lactic acid bacteria of importance in foods and are used as human probiotics. However, they are also important nosocomial pathogens e.g. vancomycin-resistant enterococcus in a nosocomial infection. Therefore, this study examined the antimicrobial resistance of Enterococcus faecium (E. faecium) related nosocomial infections in patients who received probiotics containing E. faecium.
METHODS
This study analyzed 234 patients with an E. faecium infection, who were hospitalized between 2003 and 2005.
RESULTS
An infection developed in 171 patients during hospitalization and 22 (12.6%) of these had received probiotics E. faecium prior to the infection. Seventy-one (41.5%) of the 171 patients had an urinary tract infection, 44 (25.7%) had a biliary tract infection, 19 (11.1%) had an infection of the blood, 15 (8.8%) had a wound infection and bedsores, 11 (6.4%) had a hemo-bag infection, 6 (3.5%) had an intravenous hyperalimentation infection, and 3 (1.8%) each had pneumonia, vaginal discharge and spontaneous bacterial peritonitis. There were no differences in the source of infection between the group given probiotics and group without probiotics. The frequency of antimicrobial resistance to ampicillin, chloramphenicol, ciprofloxacin, gentamycin, streptomycin, vancomycin and teicoplanin, and the use of these antibiotics were similar in both groups.
CONCLUSION
Probiotics containing E. faecium do not increase the antimicrobial resistance of nosocomial infections by E. faecium.

Keyword

Probiotics; Enterococcus faecium; Nosocomial infection; Bacterial drug resistance

MeSH Terms

Ampicillin
Anti-Bacterial Agents
Bacillus
Bacteria
Biliary Tract
Chloramphenicol
Ciprofloxacin
Clostridium
Cross Infection
Enterococcus
Enterococcus faecium*
Gentamicins
Hospitalization
Humans
Insurance Benefits
Korea
Lactic Acid
Lactobacillus
Parenteral Nutrition, Total
Peritonitis
Pneumonia
Pressure Ulcer
Probiotics*
Streptomycin
Teicoplanin
Urinary Tract Infections
Vaginal Discharge
Vancomycin
Wound Infection
Ampicillin
Anti-Bacterial Agents
Chloramphenicol
Ciprofloxacin
Gentamicins
Lactic Acid
Streptomycin
Teicoplanin
Vancomycin