Undetected Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococcus Stool Colonization in a Veterans Affairs Hospital Using a Clostridium difficile –Focused Surveillance Strategy

We examined the point prevalence of undetected vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE) stool colonization in an institution that screens stool samples submitted for Clostridium difficile testing. Of 112 patients not known to be colonized, 10 (9%) had rectal VRE colonization. A prospective algorithm was effective for identification of colonized patients.