Abstract:
The objective of the study was to determine the prevalence of gastrointestinal tract
colonization with antibiotic resistant enterococci at ward entry and to study the incidence
and risk factors for nosocomial acquisition of colonization with resistant enterococci. A
prospective cohort study conducted between 1st of July 2001 and 31st of August 2001. A
559 bed 3 orthopaedic units and a 57 bed plastic surgery/ burns unit in a 2926 bed tertiary
care teaching hospital in Colombo. Rectal swabs were obtained within 24 hrs of admission
to the study ward and repeated at weekly intervals for two weeks. Patients harbouring
antibiotic resistant enterococci at the time of admission or after admission were compared
with patients who were not colonized. Clinical and epidemiological risk factors for
colonization were obtained by an interview on admission and abstracted prospectively by
daily chart review
