Vre how is it transmitted

All users should seek advice from a qualified healthcare professional for a diagnosis and answers to their medical questions. Skip to navigation Skip to main content Site map Accessibility Contact us.

Search this site Search all sites Search. Go to whole of WA Government Search. Open search bar Open navigation Submit search. Health conditions. Facebook Youtube Twitter. Vancomycin-resistant Enterococci VRE Enterococci are bacteria germs that commonly live in the gastrointestinal tract bowels of most people this is called colonisation without causing illness.

There are other antibiotics that can be used to treat VRE infections. Who is most at risk of getting VRE infections? People whose ability to fight infections is low, such as: people with cancer those receiving dialysis people in an intensive care unit people who have had transplants. How is VRE spread? It is not spread through the air or by coughing or sneezing. The symptoms that develop with VRE infection are the ones you would get with any other bacterial infection such as: fever feeling generally unwell rapid pulse rate redness, swelling, pain or heat at a specific site In some cases VRE can enter the bloodstream, from either an existing infection such as an abscess or urinary tract infection or from a medical device such as a urinary catheter or intravenous catheter.

If the VRE are causing infection, there are still some antibiotics that can be used. What happens if you have VRE? However, some extra precautions will be taken: You will be moved to a single room. Everyone, including you and your visitors, will need to wash their hands or use an alcohol-based hand rub before entering or leaving your room. A sign will be placed on your door to remind others of the precautions they need to follow, for example, to wear a gown and gloves when providing care.

An alert will be placed against your name in the hospital computer system that can be seen by all the metropolitan public hospitals in WA. This alerts staff at the time of future admissions that extra precautions are required. But they do know that VRE infections are more likely to develop when antibiotics such as vancomycin are used often. If you take antibiotics when you do not need them, they may not work when you do need them.

Each time you take antibiotics, you are more likely to have some bacteria that the medicine does not kill. These bacteria can change mutate so they are harder to kill. Then, the antibiotics that used to kill them no longer work. These bacteria are called antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The symptoms of a VRE infection depend on where the infection is. If VRE are causing a wound infection, that area of your skin may be red or tender.

If you have a urinary tract infection , you may have back pain, a burning sensation when you urinate, or a need to urinate more often than usual. Some people with VRE infections have diarrhea, feel weak and sick, or have fever and chills. If your doctor suspects that you are infected with VRE, he or she will send a sample of your infected wound, blood, urine, or stool to a lab.

The lab will grow the bacteria and then test to see which kinds of antibiotics kill the bacteria. This test may take several days. If you get a serious infection with VRE, you may be isolated in a private hospital room to reduce the chances of spreading the bacteria to others.

When your doctors and nurses are caring for you, they may use extra precautions such as wearing gloves and gowns. VRE infections may be difficult to cure because the bacteria do not respond to many antibiotics. If you have an infection, your doctor will order antibiotics that may be given by mouth or into a vein through an IV intravenously. Sometimes more than one antibiotic is prescribed to help stop the infection.

Part of your treatment may include sending samples of your blood, urine, or stool to a lab to see if you still have VRE in your body. Some people get rid of VRE infections on their own as their bodies get stronger. This can take a few months or even longer. Other times, an infection will go away and then come back.

Sometimes the infection will go away, but the bacteria will remain without causing infection. This is called colonization. As more antibiotic-resistant bacteria develop and more cases of VRE infections are documented, hospitals and other health care facilities are taking extra care to practice infection control, which includes frequent handwashing and isolation of patients infected with VRE. Dishes and utensils can be washed in a dishwasher or with warm soapy water and rinsed.

Bed linen and clothing can be washed in a washing machine using a standard detergent for clothing. Such discrimination is unnecessary and may be illegal. Nursing homes and hospitals are expected to follow state and federal guidelines for VRE patients which include standard precautions and proper room assignment.

Patients in hospitals or nursing homes may contact the facility's infection control nurse. Navigation menu. Are VRE infections serious? Who gets VRE? How is VRE spread? What type of prevention is needed when caring for patients with VRE?