Wash Your Hands – Part 6
There are two common clinical isolates of enterococci that are resistant to vancomycin (Enterococcus faecalis and Enterococcus faecium). These strains can survive for 60 minutes on gloved and nongloved fingers.
E. faecalis has been recovered on countertops for up to 5 days and E. faecium for up to 7 days. Both can survive on bedrails for up to 24 hours, on telephone receivers for 60 minutes and 30 minutes on a diaphragm of a stethoscope.
VRE can be spread to patients via the hands of health care workers or by the patients touching contaminated surfaces. Hand hygiene with waterless antiseptic agents is recommended.
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