J Korean Med Sci.  2018 Nov;33(48):e295. 10.3346/jkms.2018.33.e295.

Factors Associated with Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococcus Colonization in Patients Transferred to Emergency Departments in Korea

• Kim HS
• Kim DH
• Yoon HJ
• Lee WJ
• Woo SH
• Choi SP

• KMID: 2426660
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3346/jkms.2018.33.e295

Abstract

BACKGROUND
Vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) infections have become a major healthcare-associated pathogen problem worldwide. Nosocomial VRE infections could be effectively controlled by screening patients at high risk of harboring VRE and thereby lowering the influx of VRE into healthcare centers. In this study, we evaluated factors associated with VRE colonization in patients transferred to emergency departments, to detect patients at risk for VRE carriage.
METHODS
This study was conducted in the emergency department of a medical college-affiliated hospital in Korea. Every patient transferred to the emergency department and admitted to the hospital from January to December 2016 was screened for VRE using rectal cultures. In this cross-sectional study, the dependent variable was VRE colonization and the independent variables were demographic and clinical factors of the patients and factors related to the transferring hospital. Patients were divided into two groups, VRE and non-VRE, and previously collected patient data were analyzed. Then we performed logistic regression analyses of characteristics that differed significantly between groups.
RESULTS
Out of 650 patients, 106 (16.3%) had positive VRE culture results. Significant variables in the logistic analysis were transfer from geriatric long-term care hospital (adjusted odds ration [aOR]: 8.017; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.378-46.651), hospital days (4-7 days; aOR: 7.246; 95% CI: 3.229-16.261), duration of antimicrobial exposure (1-3 days; aOR: 1.976; 95% CI: 1.137-3.436), and age (aOR: 1.025; 95% CI: 1.007-1.043).
CONCLUSION
VRE colonization in patients transferred to the emergency department is associated primarily with factors related to the transferred hospitals rather than demographic and clinical characteristics.

Keyword

Vancomycin Resistance; Bacterial Infections; Infection Control

MeSH Terms

Bacterial Infections
Colon*
Cross-Sectional Studies
Delivery of Health Care
Emergencies*
Emergency Service, Hospital*
Enterococcus*
Humans
Infection Control
Korea*
Logistic Models
Long-Term Care
Mass Screening
Vancomycin Resistance
Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococci