Search

Our study aimed to identify the incidence of patients with vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) colonization in the orthopedics and traumatology clinic and to present an approach for these patients. The anal swab samples of 781 patients applying to and inpatient in the orthopedic and traumatology clinic from August 2013-December 2013, taken by the infection control committee under the auspices of the VRE infection surveillance program, were investigated. Of the 781 samples investigated, 14 patients (1.79%) were found to have VRE colonization. In 4 patients there was a history of diabetes mellitus, 5 patients had dirty wounds and 5 patients had repeated inpatient stay and surgery history. Cultures taken from the patients produced E. species and E. casseliflavus/gallinarum. In Turkey, the first vancomycin-resistant E. faecium strain was reported from Akdeniz University in 1998. Since this date, VRE is encountered more and more often in the hospital environment. Resistant bacteria easily propagate in the hospital environment and this increases the possibility of colonization and infection incidence. Early identification of resistant enterococci colonization in inpatients is important for control of enterococcal infections. As a result, we believe identifying patients in the risk group may reduce VRE infections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]