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Journal of Clinical Microbiology, October 2001, p. 3772-3774, Vol. 39, No. 10
0095-1137/01/$04.00+0   DOI: 10.1128/JCM.39.10.3772-3774.2001
Copyright © 2001, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.

Contamination of the Clinical Microbiology Laboratory with Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococci and Multidrug- Resistant Enterobacteriaceae: Implications for Hospital and Laboratory Workers

Susan M. Collins,1 Donna M. Hacek,2 Lisa A. Degen,1 Marc O. Wright,1 Gary A. Noskin,1,2,3,4 and Lance R. Peterson1,2,3,*

Department of Pathology, Clinical Microbiology Division,1 Northwestern Prevention Epicenter,2 Department of Medicine, Infectious Disease Division,3 and Department of Infection Control and Prevention,4 Northwestern Memorial Hospital and Northwestern University Medical School, Chicago, Illinois 60611

Received 11 June 2001/Returned for modification 9 July 2001/Accepted 26 July 2001

We surveyed environmental surfaces in our clinical microbiology laboratory to determine the prevalence of vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) and multidrug-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (MDRE) during a routine working day. From a total of 193 surfaces, VRE were present on 20 (10%) and MDRE were present on 4 (2%) of the surfaces tested. In a subsequent survey after routine cleaning, all of the 24 prior positive surfaces were found to be negative. Thus, those in the laboratory should recognize that many surfaces may be contaminated by resistant organisms during routine processing of patient specimens.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Department of Pathology, Northwestern Prevention Epicenter, Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Galter Carriage House, Rm. 701, 251 E. Huron, Chicago, IL 60611. Phone: (312) 926-3205. Fax: (312) 926-4139. E-mail: lancer{at}northwestern.edu.

Journal of Clinical Microbiology, October 2001, p. 3772-3774, Vol. 39, No. 10
0095-1137/01/$04.00+0   DOI: 10.1128/JCM.39.10.3772-3774.2001
Copyright © 2001, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.


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Copyright © 2001 by the American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.