Risk of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE) bloodstream infection among patients colonized with VRE.

Background: Colonization with vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE) is a risk factor for subsequent VRE bloodstream infection (BSI); however, risk factors for BSI among colonized patients have not been adequately described. We sought to determine the proportion of VRE-colonized patients who subsequently develop VRE BSI and to identify risk factors for VRE BSI among these patients.

Methods: Records of 768 patients colonized with VRE from January 2002 through June 2005 were reviewed.