Spectra VRE (Remel, Lenexa, KS) is a chromogenic medium designed to recover and differentiate vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium and Enterococcus faecalis (VRE). This medium was compared to bile esculin azide agar (BEAV) and was 98.2% sensitive and 99.3% specific compared to BEAV, which was 87.6% sensitive and 87.1% specific at 24 h.

A survey of fecal samples found enterococcal excretion in 82% of 388 bank voles (Clethrionomys glareolus), 92% of 131 woodmice (Apodemus sylvaticus), and 75% of 165 badgers (Meles meles). Vancomycin-resistant enterococci, all Enterococcus faecium of vanA genotype, were excreted by 4.6% of the woodmice and 1.2% of the badgers, but by none of the bank voles.

A vancomycin (Van) derivative self-assembles in a phosphate buffer as a divalent Van and on cell surfaces as a multivalent Van, which offers potent activity against VRE.

Repeated outbreaks of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (VRE) occurred between 2004 and 2010 in Assistance Publique--Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), a 23,000-bed multi-hospital institution. From August 2004 to December 2005, the French guidelines for preventing cross-transmission of multiresistant bacteria were applied. Because the number of VRE cases continued to increase, an institutional ...

Daptomycin, a lipopeptide antibiotic with similar action as vancomycin, is used to treat complicated skin and soft tissue infections caused by resistant Gram-positive bacteria, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, penicillin-resistant streptococci, and vancomycin-resistant enterococci. Acute generalized exanthematous pustulosis (AGEP), characterized by acute onset of numerous ...

Polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) impregnated with antibiotics is widely used in the treatment of osteomyelitis and infected arthroplasties. With the emergence of resistant bacterial strains, linezolid, which is active against gram-positive bacteria and toward which resistance has been scarce, has been suggested as an alternative. In the current in vitro study, the authors sought to determine and c...

BACKGROUND The health and economic impact of vancomycin-resistant enterococci has not been quantified. METHODS A retrospective matched cohort study was conducted comparing the outcomes of patients with vancomycin-resistant enterococci (cases) with those of control subjects matched for length of hospital stay until inclusion in the cohort, hospital location, and calendar date. The propensity t...

Vancomycin is one of the older antibiotics that has been now in clinical use close to 60 years. Earlier on, vancomycin was associated with many side effects including vestibular and renal, most likely due to impurities contained in early vancomycin lots. Over the years, the impurities have been removed and the compound has now far less vestibular adverse effects, but still possesses renal toxic...