Unrecognized burden of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus carriage in the pediatric intensive care unit

Aaron M. Milstone, Xiaoyan Song, Claire Beers, Ivor Berkowitz, Karen C. Carroll, Trish M. Perl

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

18 Scopus citations

Abstract

Routinely, children's hospitals use data from clinical cultures to estimate the burden of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE) carriage. In our pediatric intensive care unit, a program of weekly surveillance cultures uncovered an unrecognized reservoir of MRSA and VRE carriers. This weekly surveillance enabled more accurate estimates of the incidence rates of MRSA and VRE carriage and led to an increased number of isolation-days for patients.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)1174-1176
Number of pages3
JournalInfection control and hospital epidemiology
Volume29
Issue number12
DOIs
StatePublished - Dec 2008

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Epidemiology
  • Microbiology (medical)
  • Infectious Diseases

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