Open communication and sharing of information is therefore essential to the provision of quality care. Today's health care environment must be viewed as a continuum where patients move back and forth across levels of care according to need. Such action negatively affects patients by limiting access to the desired level of care, including hospitalization, and unnecessarily extends hospital stay beyond the period of medical need. It is inappropriate to refuse admission of a patient based solely on the fact that VRE is present. All health care facilities and home care agencies must be prepared to implement the appropriate infection control measures for patients infected or colonized with VRE and other resistant organisms. The admission or transfer of patients should not be affected by VRE infection or colonization. Admission and Transfer of Patients With VRE. However, health care workers can transiently carry this organism and serve as vehicles for transmission to other patients. VRE does not pose an infection risk to health care workers. Patients can be colonized with VRE and remain undetected. Although a health care facility or agency may not have had a recognized case of VRE, this organism may be present in the patient population. In New York State, VRE is endemic in many hospitals. In the next few years, most health care facilities and agencies can expect to encounter VRE in their patient population. Also, VRE infections tend to occur in critically ill patients in whom the outcome is more frequently fatal. Although VRE is not especially virulent, the lack of effective therapy for invasive infection and the potential for transfer of vancomycin resistance to other bacteria (i.e., Staphylococcus aureus) has made the control of VRE a public health concern. In recent years, enterococci, like many other organisms, have developed resistance to certain antibiotics. Background.Įnterococci are part of the normal flora in the intestinal tract and are a common cause of nosocomial infections. Recommendations for surveillance, antibiotic utilization, and other aspects of an institutional plan for VRE prevention and control are covered in the HICPAC guidelines referenced at the end of this communication. This document solely addresses infection control. Guidance for long-term care facilities and home health agencies, which was not covered by the HICPAC document, is included. These supplement recommendations published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Hospital Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee (HICPAC) 1, which have been endorsed by the Department of Health and its Infection Control Advisory Committee. These guidelines provide infection control information for hospitals, long term care facilities, and home care agencies on strategies to prevent transmission of vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) from colonized or infected patients. Subject: Supplemental Infection Control Guidelines for the Care of Patients Colonized or Infected with Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococci (VRE) in Hospitals, Long-Term Care Facilities and Home Health Care Series: Health Facilities Series: RHCF-7, D&TC-7, HMO-6, H-10, HHA-4 95-14 Supplemental Infection Control Guidelines for the Care of Patients Colonized or Infected with Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococci (VRE) in Hospitals, Long-Term Care Facilities and Home Health Care All Health Care Professionals & Patient Safety.Clinical Guidelines, Standards & Quality of Care.Health & Safety in the Home, Workplace & Outdoors.Birth, Death, Marriage & Divorce Records.
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