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First Outbreak of Colonization and Infection With Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococcus faecium in a Tertiary Care Hospital in Singapore

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 June 2016

Maciej Piotr Chlebicki*
Affiliation:
Departments of Internal Medicine, Infection Control Unit, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore
Moi Lin Ling
Affiliation:
Pathology, Infection Control Unit, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore
Tse Hsien Koh
Affiliation:
Pathology, Infection Control Unit, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore
Li Yang Hsu
Affiliation:
Departments of Internal Medicine, Infection Control Unit, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore
Ban Hock Tan
Affiliation:
Departments of Internal Medicine, Infection Control Unit, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore
Kue Bien How
Affiliation:
Infection Control Unit, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore
Li-Hwei Sng
Affiliation:
Pathology, Infection Control Unit, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore
Grace Chee Yeng Wang
Affiliation:
Pathology, Infection Control Unit, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore
Asok Kurup
Affiliation:
Departments of Internal Medicine, Infection Control Unit, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore
Mei Ling Kang
Affiliation:
Departments of Internal Medicine, Infection Control Unit, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore
Jenny Guek Hong Low
Affiliation:
Pathology, Infection Control Unit, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore
*
Department of Internal Medicine, Singapore General Hospital, Outram Road, Singapore169608, (pchlebicki@hotmail.com)

Abstract

We report the first outbreak of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium colonization and infection among inpatients in the hematology ward of an acute tertiary care public hospital in Singapore. Two cases of bacteremia and 4 cases of gastrointestinal carriage were uncovered before implementation of strict infection control measures resulted in control of the outbreak.

Type
Concise Communications
Copyright
Copyright © The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America 2006

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