VANCOMYCIN-RESISTANT ENTEROCOCCI

Course overview

ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANCE IS BECOMING AN INCREASINGLY COMMON CLINICAL DILEMMA FOR MEDICAL PROVIDERS. IN PARTICULAR, VANCOMYCIN-RESISTANT ENTEROCOCCUS (VRE) IS CHALLENGING TO MANAGE. ENTEROCOCCI ARE FACULTATIVE ANAEROBIC GRAM-POSITIVE COCCI THAT ARE NORMALLY COMMENSAL ORGANISMS OF THE HUMAN GASTROINTESTINAL TRACT. HOWEVER, THEY CAN CAUSE A VARIETY OF INFECTIONS. THIS ACTIVITY REVIEWS THE DEVELOPMENT OF VANCOMYCIN-RESISTANT ENTEROCOCCUS AND ITS EPIDEMIOLOGY AND PRESENTATION, AND HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN THE MANAGEMENT OF AFFECTED PATIENTS.