Vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) are important pathogens causing nosocomial infections, and there is reason for concern about their resistance and great ability to spread in hospital environments, especially intensive-care units (ICU). To determine the prevalence of rectal colonization by VRE, and the risk factors associated with their presence, rectal surveillance swabs were taken from p...

STUDY OBJECTIVES (1) To determine in our ICU the incidence of vancomycin-resistant enterococcus (VRE) colonization in mechanically ventilated patients without a history of VRE infection or colonization; and (2) to determine the risk factors and outcome variables associated with VRE colonization in these patients. DESIGN A prospective cohort study conducted between January 1996 and March 1998....

with MDR-E. coli at 49.2%, MDR-AB at 20.1%, MDRK. pneumoniae at 18.0%, and MDR-P. aeruginosa at 2.7%. The colonization rate for MDROs was 56.1% on day 1, and it was 73.5% by day 3, 71.4% by day 7, and 81.8% by day 14 or longer. In addition, the MDR-AB colonization rate and proportion of MDR-AB versus all MDROs isolated from the rectums of ICU patients were also positively associated with the le...

Recent research has established that the terminal rectum is the predominant colonization site of enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157:H7 in cattle. The main aim of the present work was to investigate pathological changes and associated immune responses at this site in animals colonized with E. coli O157:H7. Tissue and gastrointestinal samples from a total of 22 weaned Holstein-cross calves c...

Enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC) O157:H7 can cause serious gastrointestinal and systemic disease in humans following direct or indirect exposure to ruminant feces containing the bacterium. The main colonization site of EHEC O157:H7 in cattle is the terminal rectum where the bacteria intimately attach to the epithelium and multiply in the intestinal mucus. This study aimed to identify genomic re...

Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) and carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa (CRPAE) are globally a major medical issue, especially in intensive care units. The digestive tract is the main reservoir for these isolates; therefore, rectal swab surveillance is highly recommended. The purpose of this study was to detect the prevalence of gastrointestinal tract colonization of CRE a...

BACKGROUND A prospective study was performed to investigate the prevalence of colonization among ICU patients and to examine whether asymptomatic carriers were the source of subsequent C. difficile infection (CDI) and acquisition of toxigenic C. difficile. METHODS Rectal swabs were collected from adult patients on admission to and at discharge from a 50-bed medical ICU of a major referral hos...

This study aimed to investigate whether CHROMagar Acinetobacter medium (CHROMagar, France) in combination with an antimicrobial supplement (modified CHROMagar Acinetobacter; CHROMagar, France) can be used for detecting and isolating multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter species (MRA) in nasal and rectal surveillance cultures. Nasal and rectal swab samples were collected from patients in an intensiv...

Carbapenem resistant Gram negative bacilli (CR-GNB) are an increasing problem worldwide, and rectal swab surveillance is recommended as a component of infection control programs. The performance of an in-house medium (modified CDC protocol) for detecting CR-GNB in surveillance rectal swab was evaluated and compared with a chromogenic medium (ChromID CARBA). 40 rectal swab specimens were taken f...