Outcomes for and Risk Factors Associated With Vancomycin-ResistantEnterococcus faecalisand Vancomycin-ResistantEnterococcus faeciumBacteremia in Cancer Patients
Objective.Vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) are a major cause of nosocomial infection. We sought to compare vancomycin-resistant (VR)Enterococcus faecalisbacteremia and VREnterococcus faeciumbacteremia in cancer patients with respect to risk factors, clinical presentation, microbiological characteristics, antimicrobial therapy, and outcomes.Methods.We identified 210 cancer patients with VRE bacteremia who had been treated between January 1996 and December 2004; 16 of these 210 had VRE. faecalisbacteremia and were matched with 32 patients with VRE. faeciumbacteremia and 32 control patients. A retrospective review of medical records was conducted.Results.Logistic regression analysis showed that, compared with VRE. faecalisbacteremia, VRE. faeciumbacteremia was associated with a worse clinical response to therapy (odds ratio [OR], 0.3 [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.07-0.98];P= .046) and a higher overall mortality rate (OR, 8.3 [95% CI, 1.9-35.3];P= .004), but the VRE-related mortality rate did not show a statistically significant difference (OR, 6.8 [95% CI, 0.7-61.8];P= .09). Compared with control patients, patients with VRE. faecalisbacteremia were more likely to have received an aminoglycoside in the 30 days before the onset of bacteremia (OR, 5.8 [95% CI, 1.2-27.6];P= .03), whereas patients with VRE. faeciumbacteremia were more likely to have received a carbapenem in the 30 days before the onset of bacteremia (OR, 11.7 [95% CI, 3.6-38.6];P<.001). In a multivariate model that compared patients with VRE. faeciumbacteremia and control patients, predictors of mortality included acute renal failure on presentation (OR, 15.1 [95% CI, 2.3-99.2];P= .004) and VRE. faeciumbacteremia (OR, 11 [95% CI, 2.7-45.1];P<.001). No difference in outcomes was found between patients with VRE. faecalisbacteremia and control patients.Conclusions.VRE. faeciumbacteremia in cancer patients was associated with a poorer outcome than was VRE. faecalisbacteremia. Recent receipt of carbapenem therapy was an independent risk factor for VRE. faeciumbacteremia, and recent receipt of aminoglycoside therapy was independent risk factor forE. faecalisbacteremia.