Affiliations: Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine,
Division of Neonatology, Erciyes University, Kayseri, Turkey | Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of
Medicine, Erciyes University, Kayseri, Turkey | Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Erciyes
University, Kayseri, Turkey
Note: [] Correspondence: Dr. Mustafa Ali Akin, Erciyes University,
Faculty of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neonatology, 38039
Kayseri, Turkey. Tel.: + 90 352 2341780; GSM: +90 532 5617945; Fax: +90 352
4375273; E-mail: [email protected]
Abstract: Today, hospital infections with vancomycin resistant enterococci
(VRE) in neonatal units have been seen with increasing frequency in recent yr.
However, VRE colonized persons have greater risks for public health after
discharge. We evaluated the risk factors in the prenatal and natal period of
patients with VRE colonization and/or infection, as well as measures taken
during VRE outbreak and after discharge occurring between the mo of February to
April of 2009 in the Erciyes University, Neonatology Unit. VRE colonization
and/or infection was detected in 26 (5.9%) of the 438 patients during time
of outbreak. Enterococcus faecium was isolated in rectal swab cultures of
all patients, and the type of glycopeptide resistance was VanA in all patients
except one. Three of cases were term (11%), the remaining 23(89%) were
preterm. E. faecium isolated from the blood culture in two patients. The
history of mothers including prenatal risk factors and infant related risk
factors were evaluated. The number of cases with VRE-positive was 15 (57%)
on discharge and three of these patients were still colonized with VRE at
re-hospitalization. The outbreak of VRE, experienced in our unit usually occurs
in the manner of colonization. Prevention of colonization require reduction of
the use of antibiotics in the perinatology and neonatology units, infection
control measurements to be maximized.
Keywords: Vancomycin resistant enterococci, neonatology unit, colonization
