About Isolation .....
Use VRE Isolation
A private exam room is indicated
for VRE patients. Visitors
accompanying the patient
(including siblings) must stay in
the room with the patient. Special
negative pressure ventilation IS
NOT indicated.
Wear a gown. VRE can exist on
inanimate objects like the bed
rails, tabletops, etc. for long
periods of time. You could brush
against these contaminated items
and contaminate your clothing.
VRE could then ride on your
clothing to the next patient.
Wear gloves to prevent selfcontamination and transmission
to other patients.
VRE
WASH YOUR HANDS between
patients especially after gloves are
removed. Gloves may have tiny
undetectable holes in them. Use
antimicrobial soap.
To remove a patient from
VRE Isolation:
Get cultures from two different
body sites three weeks apart.
Usually the cultures will be from
the original site and one other
(rectal swab.) All three sets of
cultures must be negative.
REMEMBER ……..
We are all part of the Infection
Control Team. If you have
questions, do not hesitate to call
us 24/7:
60725
Beepers:
835-1205 – Vicki Brinsko
835-1206 – Missy Travis
835-1207 – Kathie Wilkerson
835-5310 - Jena Skinner
835-8560 - Tracy Hann
835-9353 - Jan Szychowski
Vancomycin Resistant
Enterococcus has been
spreading across the country with
a fury. Some call it a “Super Bug”
because very few antibiotics will
kill it. It began in the northeast
and has made its way westward. It
is a germ that is common in the
intestine and known as
Enterococcus.
Considered normal flora of the
lower intestine, enterococcus is a
gram-positive organism that
behaves like a gram-negative
organism. Yet behind this “Clark
Kent” type of streptococcus lurks a
wolf in sheep’s clothing:
VANCOMYCIN RESISTANT ENTEROCOCCUS
What is VRE?
Enterococcus is a type of strep
bacteria. It can cause infections of
the urinary tract, surgical sites,
and bloodstream infections. VRE
is a potentially dangerous form of
enterococcus. It is resistant to
most antibiotics including
vancomycin. Vancomycin is an
antibiotic used to treat strep and
staph infections.
Why be concerned about
VRE?
Because VRE can be a facility
acquired infection – and it’s a
growing problem in healthcare
facilities worldwide. VRE can be
 Hard to treat
 Hard to stamp out
VRE can cause serious infections
in patients who are very ill.
Patients with organ transplants,
cancer, or dialysis patients are
particularly vulnerable. Health
care workers can spread VRE on
hands, clothing or equipment
unless precautions are taken.
Risk factors for VRE
infections
Some patients are more at risk for
VRE infection than others. Special
risk factors include:
 Severe illness – transplant
and cancer patients are
generally less able to defend
themselves against infection
 Treatment with multiple
antibiotics – antibiotics
can reduce the number of
bacteria in the body.
Without a healthy supply of
these bacteria, the body has
a harder time fighting off
intruders.
 Abdominal surgery –
Open wounds are an ideal
opening for VRE. Since
these operations involved
handling the area where
enterococcus normally lives,
the patient is more likely to
get resistant enterococcus
especially after antibiotics
are given.
VRE FACTS
VRE can last for long periods of
time on inanimate objects. Use
dedicated equipment such as
blood pressure cuffs,
thermometers, etc. Leave these
items in the room until the
patient leaves or is cleared by
Infection Control. The
equipment must be disinfected
before using on another
patient.
Schedule known VRE patients for
clinic appointments at the end of
the day if possible. When the
patient arrives, place the patient
immediately in an exam room.
Thoroughly disinfect the exam
room, bathroom, anything the
patient has touched to reduce
transmission to another patient.
Bathrooms need special attention
since enterococcus is a gut
bacteria. Bathrooms used by
known VRE patients or bathrooms
located in clinics where VRE
patients are likely to be should be
thoroughly cleaned at night and
after any known VRE patient has
used it.