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Long-term care facilities (LTCFs) are recognized as reservoirs for drug-resistant organisms, including vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE), methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), and multidrug-resistant (MDR) gram-negative bacteria. To better understand how such bacteria are transmitted in LTCFs, researchers undertook a point-prevalence study on four wards of a 600-bed facility in metropolitan Boston, assessing these pathogens in nasal and rectal samples from residents, on the hands and uniforms of healthcare workers (HCWs), and on environmental surfaces in both private and common rooms.
Specimens for culture were obtained from 161 residents. Among these individuals, 37 (23%) were colonized with MDR gram-negative bacteria, 18…