PMID- 36302298
OWN - NLM
STAT- MEDLINE
DCOM- 20221031
LR  - 20221108
IS  - 0332-3102 (Print)
IS  - 0332-3102 (Linking)
VI  - 115
IP  - 8
DP  - 2022 Sep 15
TI  - Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococci in Patients Attending for Colonoscopy: An 
      Estimate of Community Prevalence.
PG  - 649
AB  - Aims Ireland has the highest vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (VRE) 
      bloodstream infection prevalence in Europe. Two patterns of VRE carriage are 
      recognised. European, with widespread community prevalence and North American, 
      where carriage is predominantly nosocomial. It is unclear which pattern is 
      dominant in Ireland. This uncertainty limits infection control measures. This 
      study sought to explore this issue via a cross sectional point prevalence study. 
      Methods Asymptomatic community volunteers, represented by patients undergoing 
      elective outpatient colonoscopy testing, were opportunistically screened for VRE. 
      Demographic and risk factor data were collected via a patient survey. Rectal 
      swabs were collected before colonoscopy and VRE was identified using the VITEK MS 
      system. Results 102 patients were cultured. A single patient tested positive, 
      representing a prevalence rate of 0.98% (95% CI <0.01-5.8%). This patient 
      demonstrated traditional risk factors, suggesting nosocomial rather than 
      community acquisition. 94% (N=94) of patients had no knowledge of VRE, while 83% 
      (N=83) had low levels of concern regarding hospital acquired infections. 
      Conclusion There is a low incidence of VRE in the Irish community setting, in 
      contrast to other European Countries, suggesting asymptomatic community 
      colonization is not responsible for the high rates of VRE seen in Ireland. Wider 
      screening or atypical infection control measures would not be supported by this 
      data.
FAU - Croughan, S
AU  - Croughan S
AD  - Department of Emergency Medicine, St. James Hospital, James Street, D08NHY1, 
      Ireland.
FAU - O'Cronin, D
AU  - O'Cronin D
AD  - Department of Anesthesiology, Mercy University Hospital, Cork, T12WE28, Ireland.
FAU - O'Brien, D
AU  - O'Brien D
AD  - Department of Microbiology, Mercy University Hospital, Cork, T12WE28, Ireland.
FAU - Roberts, F
AU  - Roberts F
AD  - Department of Anesthesiology, Mercy University Hospital, Cork, T12WE28, Ireland.
FAU - Underwood, S
AU  - Underwood S
AD  - Department of Anesthesiology, Mercy University Hospital, Cork, T12WE28, Ireland.
FAU - O'Connell, J
AU  - O'Connell J
AD  - Department of Anesthesiology, Mercy University Hospital, Cork, T12WE28, Ireland.
FAU - Jackson, A
AU  - Jackson A
AD  - Department of Medicine, Mercy University Hospital, Cork, T12WE28, Ireland.
FAU - McCarthy, J
AU  - McCarthy J
AD  - Department of Medicine, Mercy University Hospital, Cork, T12WE28, Ireland.
FAU - Fahey, S
AU  - Fahey S
AD  - Department of Microbiology, Mercy University Hospital, Cork, T12WE28, Ireland.
LA  - eng
PT  - Journal Article
DEP - 20220915
PL  - Ireland
TA  - Ir Med J
JT  - Irish medical journal
JID - 0430275
RN  - 0 (Anti-Bacterial Agents)
SB  - IM
MH  - Humans
MH  - *Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococci
MH  - Prevalence
MH  - Cross-Sectional Studies
MH  - *Cross Infection/epidemiology/prevention & control
MH  - Colonoscopy
MH  - *Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections/diagnosis/epidemiology
MH  - Anti-Bacterial Agents
COIS- The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.
EDAT- 2022/10/28 06:00
MHDA- 2022/11/01 06:00
CRDT- 2022/10/27 18:16
PHST- 2022/10/27 18:16 [entrez]
PHST- 2022/10/28 06:00 [pubmed]
PHST- 2022/11/01 06:00 [medline]
PST - epublish
SO  - Ir Med J. 2022 Sep 15;115(8):649.