A Comparison of Multifaceted VersusClostridium difficile-Focused VRE Surveillance Strategies in a Low-Prevalence Setting

Abstract
We compared our current screening strategy for vancomycin-resistantEnterococcus(VRE) with a focused strategy that screens all stool samples sent forClostridium difficiletoxin assay but limits rectal swab screening to wards with new VRE cases detected viaC difficilesamples. The proposed strategy detects 72.7% of new VRE cases, with substantial cost savings.