Vancomycin-resistant enterococcal infections in bone marrow transplant recipients

Bone Marrow Transplant. 1998 Jul;22(2):207-9. doi: 10.1038/sj.bmt.1701303.

Abstract

Vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) infections have been increasingly reported in immunosuppressed individuals over the past decade. Emergence of this pathogen in the bone marrow transplantation (BMT) setting, in the form of bacteremia or positive stool cultures, is of concern because of lack of effective antimicrobial therapy. We report episodes of vancomycin-resistant E. faecium bacteremia in two patients undergoing BMT including the first case of VRE meningitis observed in this setting. Since the outcome in these patients undergoing matched unrelated donor BMT was fatal, we believe that routine screening for VRE in high risk patients should be considered. Management of VRE carrier state in BMT candidates is unclear at present.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / pharmacology
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / therapeutic use*
  • Bone Marrow Transplantation / adverse effects*
  • Drug Resistance, Microbial
  • Enterococcus faecium / isolation & purification*
  • Female
  • Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections / drug therapy*
  • Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections / etiology*
  • Humans
  • Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive / therapy*
  • Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute / therapy*
  • Transplantation, Homologous
  • Vancomycin / pharmacology
  • Vancomycin / therapeutic use*

Substances

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents
  • Vancomycin