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 self-contamination and transmission to other patients.
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 Szychowskiann
VRE
Vancomycin ResistantEnterococcus 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.