Vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium sepsis following persistent colonization

Arch Intern Med. 1995 Jul 10;155(13):1445-7.

Abstract

Vancomycin-resistant enterococci have emerged as important nosocomial pathogens and represent a serious threat to patients with impaired host defenses. We describe a patient with leukemia who developed prolonged colonization with vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium and ultimately died of sepsis due to this multidrug-resistant organism. This case report confirms that colonization with vancomycin-resistant enterococci may last indefinitely and that asymptomatic carriage can lead to invasive infection.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Drug Resistance, Microbial
  • Enterococcus faecium* / isolation & purification
  • Fatal Outcome
  • Female
  • Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections / complications
  • Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections / drug therapy*
  • Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections / microbiology
  • Humans
  • Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute / complications
  • Sepsis / complications
  • Sepsis / microbiology*
  • Vancomycin / therapeutic use*

Substances

  • Vancomycin