Utility of a focused vancomycin-resistant enterococci screening protocol to identify colonization in hospitalized children
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
11-2012
Identifier
DOI: 10.1016/j.ajic.2011.12.005
Abstract
Screening for vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) is controversial, and disagreement exists on policy implementation. This study investigated the likelihood of a positive test using 1, 2, or 3 rectal screenings for VRE colonization. In this descriptive study of positive VRE screening cultures, a total of 1211 VRE screens identified 41 positive results. The mean age of these positive patients was 5.7 years. Thirty-nine of the 41 had a chronic illness, and only 2 were healthy. Diagnoses included pulmonary disease in 11 patients and chronic gastrointestinal abnormality in 7. Six patients had been born preterm, and 12 had been treated in a neonatal intensive care unit within the previous 6 months. Thirty-six of the 41 positive results were identified on the first screen. The likelihood of subsequently having a positive screen after a negative screen was 0.43% (95% confidence interval, 0.15%-1.02%). The cost of cultures plus isolation was $50,000 for the study period. Our data show that the likelihood of detecting a positive VRE culture after an initial negative was low, particularly in otherwise healthy children. Copyright © 2012 by the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Journal Title
American Journal of Infection Control
Volume
40
Issue
9
First Page
891
Last Page
892
Keywords
Pediatric, Surveillance, VRE
Recommended Citation
Weddle, G., Jackson, M., Selvarangan, R. Utility of a focused vancomycin-resistant enterococci screening protocol to identify colonization in hospitalized children American Journal of Infection Control 40, 891-892 (2012).
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