Site Map

Vancomycin-resistant enterococci - hospital

Super-bugs; VRE; Gastroenteritis - VRE; Colitis - VRE; Hospital acquired infection - VRE

Enterococcus is a germ (bacteria). It normally lives in the intestines and in the female genital tract.

Most of the time, it does not cause problems. But enterococcus can cause an infection if it gets into the urinary tract, bloodstream, or skin wounds or other sterile sites.

Vancomycin is an antibiotic that is often used to treat these infections. Antibiotics are medicines that are used to kill bacteria.

Enterococcus germs can become resistant to vancomycin and therefore are not killed. These resistant bacteria are called vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE). VRE can be hard to treat because there are fewer antibiotics that can fight the bacteria. Most VRE infections occur in hospitals.

Images

Bacteria

I Would Like to Learn About:

Who is Most at Risk for VRE?

VRE infections are more common in people who:

Preventing the Spread of VRE in the Hospital

VRE can get onto the hands by touching a person who has VRE or by touching a surface that is contaminated with VRE. The bacteria then spread from one person to another by touch.

The best way to prevent the spread of VRE is for everyone to keep their hands clean.

Urinary catheters or IV tubing are changed on a regular basis to minimize the risk of VRE infections.

Patients infected with VRE may be placed in a single room or be in a semi-private room with another patient with VRE. This prevents the spread of germs among hospital staff, other patients, and visitors. Staff and providers may need to:

Treating VRE Infections

Often, other antibiotics besides vancomycin can be used to treat most VRE infections. Lab tests will tell which antibiotics will kill the germ.

Patients with the enterococcus germ who do not have symptoms of an infection do not need treatment.

References

Miller WR, Arias CA, Murray BE. Enterococcus species, Streptococcus gallolyticus group, and leuconostoc species. In: Bennett JE, Dolin R, Blaser MJ, eds. Mandell, Douglas, and Bennett's Principles and Practice of Infectious Diseases. 9th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 200.

Savard P, Perl TM. Enterococcal infections. In: Goldman L, Schafer AI, eds. Goldman-Cecil Medicine. 26th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 275.

BACK TO TOP

Review Date: 3/10/2022  

Reviewed By: Jatin M. Vyas, MD, PhD, Associate Professor in Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Associate in Medicine, Division of Infectious Disease, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.

ADAM Quality Logo
Health Content Provider
06/01/2025

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, for Health Content Provider (www.urac.org). URAC's accreditation program is an independent audit to verify that A.D.A.M. follows rigorous standards of quality and accountability. A.D.A.M. is among the first to achieve this important distinction for online health information and services. Learn more about A.D.A.M.'s editorial policy, editorial process and privacy policy. A.D.A.M. is also a founding member of Hi-Ethics. This site complied with the HONcode standard for trustworthy health information from 1995 to 2022, after which HON (Health On the Net, a not-for-profit organization that promoted transparent and reliable health information online) was discontinued.

The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed medical professional should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. © 1997- 2024 A.D.A.M., a business unit of Ebix, Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.

A.D.A.M. content is best viewed in IE9 or above, Firefox and Google Chrome browser.