The Surveyans of Colonisation of Vancomycin Resistant Enterococci and Investigation Antibiotic Susceptibility and Risk Factors

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: VRE colonization rates are higher in intensive care units (ICU) with long-term hospitalizations, antibiotic use and invasive interventions. We aimed to determine the antibiotic susceptibility by investigating the rectal colonization and risk factors of VRE in patients followed up in the pediatric service and intensive care unit. METHODS: The study was conducted in the pediatric wards and intensive care unit of XXX University Hospital in ten months. Rectal swab samples were obtained from all the patients on the first and 7th day of admission. Samples submitted to the laboratory were inoculated onto chromogenic VRE agar (CHROMagar™, France) and Enterococci spp. were identified according to the procedure. Vancomycin resistance was determined among Enterococcus spp. by E-test method (bioMérieux, France). Phoenix Automated System (Becton Dickinson, USA) was utilized in identifying the species of enterococci and defining antibiotic susceptibilities. RESULTS: VRE colonizations were detected in rectal swab samples in 54 (9%) of 600 patients who were followed up. VRE colonizations were detected in 31 (6.9%) patients in the pediatric ward and 23 (15.3%) patients in the ICU (p <0.05). Of the VRE strains detected as colonization in rectal swab samples, 50 (92.6%) were E. faecium and 4 (7.4%) were E.faecalis (p <0.05). As a result of the antibiotic susceptibility test performed on the isolated VRE strains, no resistance was found against linezolid, tigecycline, tetracycline and daptomycin. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Hospitalization, follow-up in the ICU, presence of underlying or chronic disease, use of vancomycin and meropenem / imipenem were evaluated as risk factors for rectal VRE colonization (p <0.05).

Keywords

• pediatrics
• intensive care unit
• vancomycin-resistant enterococci