Abstract
We performed an epidemiological investigation of a 62-bed neonatal intensive care unit in response to 2 infants with clinical cultures positive for vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE). Surveillance cultures detected 11 infants colonized with VRE. Surveillance triggered by even a single clinical culture positive for VRE may be justified in the neonatal intensive care unit, because a single culture result may represent a large hidden reservoir of VRE-colonized infants.
MeSH terms
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Case-Control Studies
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Cross Infection / epidemiology*
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Cross Infection / microbiology*
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Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field
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Enterococcus / isolation & purification*
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Feces / microbiology
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Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections / epidemiology*
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Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections / microbiology
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Humans
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Infant, Newborn
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Intensive Care Units, Neonatal
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Logistic Models
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New York City / epidemiology
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Rectum / microbiology
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Risk Factors
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Sentinel Surveillance
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Vancomycin Resistance*