@ARTICLE{Askarian, author = {Askarian, M and Afkhamzadeh, Ar and Monabbati, A and }, title = {Prevalence of intestinal colonization by vancomaycin-resistant enterococci in Shiraz Namazi Hospital}, volume = {10}, number = {4}, abstract ={  ABSTRACT   Background and Aim: The aim of this cross sectional study was to determine the prevalence of intestinal colonization by vancomaycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) in Namazi Hospital in Shiraz.   Materials and Methods: Serial rectal swabs were obtained every 5 days from all the 700 hospitalized patients, ( from December 2003 through July 2004 ), and VRE (Vancomycin-resistant Enterococci) were detected by disk diffusion method and then confirmed with Minimum Inhibitory Concentration dilution Method. The data collected out of interviews and patients` records, were analyzed by means of chi-square test.   Results: 99 (%14) out of 700 patients were colonized by VRE. 3% of 23 patients who had negative tests for VRE, at the time of hospitalization, were colonized by resistant enterococci. In this study the prevalence of VRE showed a significant relationship with variables of age, ward, history of previous admissions, history of previous antibiotic use, duration of hospitalization, underlying disease, neutropenia, renal failure, dialysis and major surgery (p0.05). Â  Conclusion: This study that was the first on VRE in Iran and revealed that colonizeation with VRE has a high prevalence in Namazi Hospital and this organism might be endemic in large hospitals. Interventional strategies are required to control this emerging nosocomial infection.   Key words: Colonization, Vancomycin-resistant, Prevalence, Enterococci,   }, URL = {http://sjku.muk.ac.ir/article-1-198-en.html}, eprint = {http://sjku.muk.ac.ir/article-1-198-en.pdf}, journal = {Scientific Journal of Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences}, doi = {}, year = {2006} }