Resumen

REALE, A. L. et al. Vancomycin-resistant enterococci: prevalence and factors associated with intestinal colonization in oncology patients from Hospital de Niños de Córdoba. Rev. argent. microbiol. [online]. 2009, vol.41, n.2, pp.92-96. ISSN 0325-7541.

Vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) have an important impact on pediatric oncology population. The objectives of this study were: to know the prevalence of VRE intestinal colonization in oncology patients, to identify the risk factors that predispose hospitalized patients to VRE intestinal colonization , and to determine the VRE resistance profile to different antimicrobial agents. We studied all children with oncological disease aged 1 month to 16 years that had joined the protocol and had been hospitalized from October 2006 to April 2007. VRE intestinal colonization was analyzed when the patient was admitted to hospital, 72 hours later, and weekly during hospitalization. A total of 333 samples were taken from 67 patients. From these, VRE were isolated in 12 patients, with a prevalence of 17.9%. Of the 28 isolates studied, taking one per patient, 10 were Enterococcus faecium and 2 Enterococcus faecalis, both with resistance phenotype VanA (CIM₉₀ 512 μg/ml to vancomycin and CIM₉₀ 256 μg/ml to teicoplanin). The use of vancomycin (p=0.02), duration of neutropenia greater than 7 days (p=0.03) and prolonged hospitalization (42.8 days on average) (p=0.0001) were risk factors significantly related to VRE colonization. We considered it necessary to carry out an epidemiological surveillance and to implement prevention and control measures.

Palabras clave : Vancomycin-resistant enterococci; Colonization; Oncology patients.

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