To determine if local monitoring data on vancomycin use directed quality improvement and decreased vancomycin use or vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE), we analyzed data from 50 intensive-care units (ICUs) at 20 U.S. hospitals reporting data on antimicrobial-resistant organisms and antimicrobial agent use. We compared local data with national benchmark data (aggregated from all study hospit...

From 2000 through 2005, hospitalizations with resistant infections (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, Clostridium difficile-associated disease, vancomycin-resistant enterococcus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Candida infection) nearly doubled, from 499,702 to 947,393. Regional variations noted in the aggregate and by individual infection may help clarify modifiable risk factors driving...

MRX-I is a potent oxazolidinone antibiotic against Gram-positive pathogens, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), penicillin-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae (PRSP), penicillin-intermediate S. pneumoniae (PISP), and vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE). In this study, the in vivo efficacy of orally administered MRX-I was evaluated using linezolid as a comparator. MRX...

In Korea, the incidence of vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) infection has recently been increasing, with a clinical isolation rate of up to 25%. We evaluated the clinical usefulness of real-time PCR for the detection of the vanA gene over conventional culture in patients confirmed as being VRE-colonized. During the evaluation stage, 100 cons...

Novel composites were synthesized from keratin (KER), cellulose (CEL) and chitosan (CS). The method is recyclable because majority (>88%) of [BMIm+Cl-], an ionic liquid (IL), used as the sole solvent, was recovered for reuse. Experimentally, it was confirmed that unique properties of each component remain intact in the composites, namely bactericide (from KER and CS) and anti-inflammatory prope...

We report the design and synthesis of a red fluorescent AIE light-up probe for selective recognition, naked-eye detection, and image-guided photodynamic killing of Gram-positive bacteria, including vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus strains.

Enterococci are part of the endogenous flora of human beings, are naturally resistant to several classes of antimicrobials, and are able to acquire resistance with relative ease. Currently the vancomycin-resistant enterococci are spread all over the world and treatment options for infections caused by it are often extremely limited. We assessed 193 vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecalis iso...

Nasal and perianal swab specimens were tested for detection of Staphylococcus aureus and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus species (VRE) using a laboratory-developed real-time PCR test and microbiological cultures. The real-time PCR and culture results for S. aureus were similar. PCR had adequate sensitivity, but culture was more specific for the detection of VRE.

In a culture survey, we found that 42% of hospital privacy curtains were contaminated with vancomycin-resistant enterococci, 22% with ethicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, and 4% with Clostridium difficile. Hand imprint cultures demonstrated that these pathogens were easily acquired on hands. Hospital curtains are a potential source for dissemination of healthcare-associated pathogens.