Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococci Infection Control Resources to Protect Patients, Workers, and Building Occupants

Enterococci are bacteria that are normally present in the human intestines and are also often found in the environment in soil and water. These bacteria can cause infections and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warns that they are constantly finding new ways to avoid the effects of the antibiotics used to treat those infections.

Vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) is the name for the bacteria resistant to the antibiotic known as vancomycin. When the CDC released the 2019 Antibiotic Resistance Threats in the United States report, VRE was listed as a serious threat. In the report, VRE was said to have caused an estimated 54,500 infections among hospitalized patients and 5,400 deaths in the United States in 2017 alone.

Some of the patients listed by CDC as being at high risk for VRE infections include those undergoing complex or prolonged healthcare, such as patients in long-term acute care hospitals or ICUs. Patients undergoing cancer treatment or those with organ transplants, and having a weakened immune system, were also listed.

“Superbugs, like VRE, are not actually ‘super’ at all. They are merely resistant to vancomycin, a commonly prescribed antibiotic. Super or not, they do pose a threat to humans due in large part to the overuse of antibiotics,” said Derrick A. Denis, Senior Vice President for Clark Seif Clark. “When antibiotics are misused, only resistant individual bacteria survive to replicate. These resistant organisms reproduce and become the dominant organism in the environment. This eventually renders commonly prescribed antibiotics ineffective against the targeted infection. Vigilant use of universal precautions and responsible antibiotic stewardship are important tools for preserving the efficacy of our current limited arsenal of drugs to battle infectious agents.”

Infection prevention requires an integrated approach with continuous and varied efforts by all verticals in a facility. The infection control experts at CSC can help in this effort. CSC assists clients by implementing and monitoring various efforts to mitigate VRE and other infection risks. They provide training to raise awareness, and building assessments to identify gaps in the efforts control of pathogens. CSC tests air, water, and surfaces for pathogens of concern, while also evaluating ventilation systems that can distribute airborne pathogens. They can even evaluate aseptic techniques and help to ensure proper use of personal protective equipment (PPE).

To help spread awareness of VRE infection risks, CSC recently sponsored an educational video about VRE in healthcare settings that can be seen at: https://youtu.be/plFsurehAJ0

To learn more about this or other infection control, industrial hygiene, environmental, health, and safety services, please visit www.csceng.com, email csc@csceng.com, or call 800-807-1118.

About Clark Seif Clark, Inc. (CSC)
CSC was established in 1989 to help clients in both public and private sectors address indoor air quality, occupational, and environmental, health, and safety (EH&S) issues. CSC is a leading provider of these services with multiple offices along the western seaboard and southwest. The company believes in science-based protocols and has a strong background in engineering, making them the preferred environmental consultants to industrial clients, healthcare facilities, architects, schools, builders, contractors, developers, and real estate professionals.

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Paul Cochrane

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