Carriage of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium in infants following an outbreak in the neonatal intensive care unit: time to clearance of carriage and use of molecular methods to detect colonization

Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 2023 Mar;44(3):497-500. doi: 10.1017/ice.2021.524. Epub 2022 Jan 31.

Abstract

Among 46 infants colonized with vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium during an outbreak in a neonatal intensive care unit, the estimated time until half had achieved clearance was 217 days. All 40 infants who completed follow-up cleared carriage by 1 year. No predictors of prolonged carriage (> 6 months) were identified.

MeSH terms

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / pharmacology
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / therapeutic use
  • Disease Outbreaks
  • Enterococcus faecium* / genetics
  • Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections* / drug therapy
  • Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections* / epidemiology
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Infant, Newborn
  • Intensive Care Units, Neonatal
  • Vancomycin / pharmacology
  • Vancomycin / therapeutic use
  • Vancomycin Resistance
  • Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococci* / genetics

Substances

  • Vancomycin
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents