Factors Associated with Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococcus Colonization in Patients Transferred to Emergency Departments in Korea

• Published in: Journal of Korean medical science Vol. 33; no. 48; pp. e295 - 7
• Main Authors: Kim, Hyun Soon, Kim, Dae Hee, Yoon, Hai-jeon, Lee, Woon Jeong, Woo, Seon Hee, Choi, Seung Pill
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Korea (South) The Korean Academy of Medical Sciences 26.11.2018; 대한의학회
• Subjects: Age Factors; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Anti-Bacterial Agents - therapeutic use; Bacterial Infections - diagnosis; Bacterial Infections - drug therapy; Bacterial Infections - microbiology; Cross-Sectional Studies; Emergency Service, Hospital; Female; Health Services for the Aged; Hospitals, University; Humans; Length of Stay; Logistic Models; Male; Odds Ratio; Original; Patient Transfer; Rectum - microbiology; Republic of Korea; Risk Factors; Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococci - isolation & purification; 의학일반; Republic of Korea; Vancomycin Resistance; Bacterial Infections; Infection Control
• ISSN: 1011-8934; 1598-6357; 1598-6357
• DOI: 10.3346/jkms.2018.33.e295

Vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) infections have become a major healthcare-associated pathogen problem worldwide. Nosocomial VRE infections could be effectively controlled by screening patients at high risk of harboring VRE and thereby lowering the influx of VRE into healthcare centers. In this study, we evaluated factors associated with VRE colonization in patients transferred to emergency departments, to detect patients at risk for VRE carriage. This study was conducted in the emergency department of a medical college-affiliated hospital in Korea. Every patient transferred to the emergency department and admitted to the hospital from January to December 2016 was screened for VRE using rectal cultures. In this cross-sectional study, the dependent variable was VRE colonization and the independent variables were demographic and clinical factors of the patients and factors related to the transferring hospital. Patients were divided into two groups, VRE and non-VRE, and previously collected patient data were analyzed. Then we performed logistic regression analyses of characteristics that differed significantly between groups. Out of 650 patients, 106 (16.3%) had positive VRE culture results. Significant variables in the logistic analysis were transfer from geriatric long-term care hospital (adjusted odds ration [aOR]: 8.017; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.378-46.651), hospital days (4-7 days; aOR: 7.246; 95% CI: 3.229-16.261), duration of antimicrobial exposure (1-3 days; aOR: 1.976; 95% CI: 1.137-3.436), and age (aOR: 1.025; 95% CI: 1.007-1.043). VRE colonization in patients transferred to the emergency department is associated primarily with factors related to the transferred hospitals rather than demographic and clinical characteristics.