To evaluate the efficacy of patient and staff cohorting to control vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) at an Indianapolis community hospital.

To interrupt transmission of VRE, a VRE point-prevalence survey of hospital inpatients was conducted, and VRE-infected or -colonized patients were cohorted on a single ward with dedicated nursing staff and patient-care equipment. To assess the impact of the intervention, staff compliance with contact isolation procedures was observed, and the VRE point-prevalence survey was repeated 2 months after the cohort ward was established.

Following the establishment of the cohort ward, VRE prevalence among all hospitalized inpatients decreased from 8.1% to 4.7% (25 positive cultures among 310 patients compared to 13 positive cultures among 276 patients, P=.14); VRE prevalence among patients whose VRE status was unknown before cultures were obtained decreased from 5.9% to 0.8% (18 positive cultures among 303 patients compared to 2 positive cultures among 262 patients, P=.002); and observed staff-patient interactions compliant with published isolation recommendations increased (5 [22%] of 23 interactions compared to 36 [88%] of 41 interactions, P<.0001).

Our data suggest that, in hospitals with endemic VRE or continued VRE transmission despite implementation of contact isolation measures, establishing a VRE cohort ward may be a practical and effective method to improve compliance with infection control measures and thereby to control epidemic or endemic VRE transmission.

To determine the molecular epidemiology of vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) at our medical center in order to identify the extent of strain clonality and possible transmission patterns of this pathogen.

An important facet of our infection control program includes molecular typing of all clinical and surveillance isolates of VRE to determine transmission patterns in the hospital. Molecular strain typing is performed by restriction endonuclease analysis (REA) of genomic DNA. REA patterns are visually compared to categorize VRE strains into type and subtype designations.

A 588-bed, university-affiliated, tertiary-care hospital and a neighboring 155-bed rehabilitation facility.

From January 1995 through December 1996, 379 VRE isolates were collected from 197 patients. Thirty-three genotypes were determined by REA typing; 15 genotypes were implicated in 29 instances of potential nosocomial transmission. Three major clusters of VRE involving patients on multiple nursing units and two adjacent hospitals were identified. The remaining instances of nosocomial transmission occurred in small patient clusters.

In conclusion, the VRE epidemic at this medical center is polyclonal. VRE transmission patterns are complex, and, while large clusters do occur, the usual pattern of nosocomial acquisition of this pathogen occurs in the setting of “mini-clusters”.

To describe the epidemiology of measles in medical settings and to evaluate the implementation and effectiveness of the 1989 Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) guidelines for measles immunization in healthcare workers (HCWs).

Confirmed cases of measles reported in Clark County, Washington, from March 14 to June 2,1996, were analyzed for characteristics of cases occurring in medical settings. A questionnaire was used to assess employee immunization (95% response rate).

Reported measles cases and HCWs at community hospitals, primary-care medical facilities, a health-maintenance organization, and a multispecialty group practice.

Of 31 cases of measles, 8 (26%) occurred in HCWs, and 5 (16%) occurred in patients or visitors to medical facilities. Cases of measles occurred in HCWs who were not required to have proof of measles immunity as defined by the 1989 ACIP guidelines. The relative risk of measles in HCWs compared to Clark County adults was 18.6 (95% confidence interval, 7.4-45.8; P<.001).

A survey of medical facilities revealed that 47% had an employee measles immunization policy; only 21% met ACIP recommendations and enforced their policies.

HCWs were at higher risk of measles than the adult population. Transmission of measles in medical settings was related to both deficiencies in, and lack of implementation of, the ACIP guidelines.