Korean J Clin Pathol.  1999 Dec;19(6):657-661.

Vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium isolated from pediatric patients

• Cho SR
• Lee HK
• Kim HJ

Abstract

BACKGROUND
Vancomycin resistance in enterococci is an emerging problem in Korea. It has become a worldwide problem and nosocomial spread of vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) is very difficult to control.
METHODS
Twenty-six strains of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium, which were isolated from clinical specimens at Soonchunhyang Chunan Hospital from September 1997 to July 1998, were evaluated to determine the antimicrobial susceptibility pattern, the vancomycin resistance genotypes, and their clinical characteristics.
RESULTS
All strains were resistant to multiple antibiotics and resistant to vancomycin with MICs in excess of 256 g/ml. All isolates proved to have the vanA gene by the polymerase chain reaction. However, most of them were considered to be colonizations rather than infections from the clinical point of view. They were all cultured from patients who were being hospitalized or had been hospitalized in a neonatal intensive care unit or pediatric wards. Fourteen of 24 patients whose cultures were positive for VRE had a previous use of broad spectrum -lactam and/or vancomycin.
CONCLUSIONS
Our cases indicate the importance of nosocomial spread of VRE via person-to-person transmission in a limited space. In order to prevent and control infection and colonization with VRE, a comprehensive and strategic plan such as the recommendations of the CDC's Hospital Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee, may be necessary.

Keyword

Nosocomial spread; Vancomycin-resistant enterococci; vanA; Neonatal intensive care unit

MeSH Terms

Advisory Committees
Anti-Bacterial Agents
Chungcheongnam-do
Colon
Cross Infection
Enterococcus faecium*
Enterococcus*
Genotype
Humans
Infant, Newborn
Intensive Care, Neonatal
Korea
Polymerase Chain Reaction
Vancomycin
Vancomycin Resistance
Anti-Bacterial Agents
Vancomycin