INTRODUCTIONVancomycin-resistant enterococcus (VRE) can cause serious infections in vulnerable, immunocompromised patients.

MATERIALS AND METHODSIn this article, we summarise current data on epidemiology, detection, treatment and prevention of VRE.

RESULTSVRE was first isolated in Singapore in 1994 and until 2004 was only sporadically encountered in our public hospitals. After 2 outbreaks in 2004 and in 2005, VRE has become established in our healthcare institutions. Multiple studies have shown that VRE spreads mainly via contaminated hands, cloths and portable equipment carried by healthcare workers.

CONCLUSIONSOnly a comprehensive programme (consisting of active surveillance, isolation of colonised/infected patients, strict adherence to proper infection control practices and anti-microbial stewardship) can limit the spread of these organisms. In addition to monitoring the compliance with traditional infection control measures, new strategies that merit consideration include pre-emptive isolation of patients in high-risk units and molecular techniques for the detection of VRE.

Anti-Bacterial Agents ; pharmacology ; Disease Outbreaks ; Disease Transmission, Infectious ; prevention & control ; Enterococcus ; drug effects ; isolation & purification ; Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections ; microbiology ; prevention & control ; transmission ; Humans ; Infection Control ; methods ; Singapore ; Vancomycin ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Vancomycin Resistance

A urinary tract infection (UTI) is a collective term for infections that involve any part of the urinary tract. It is one of the most common infections in local primary care. The incidence of UTIs in adult males aged under 50 years is low, with adult women being 30 times more likely than men to develop a UTI. Appropriate classification of UTI into simple or complicated forms guides its management and the ORENUC classification can be used. Diagnosis of a UTI is based on a focused history, with appropriate investigations depending on individual risk factors. Simple uncomplicated cystitis responds very well to oral antibiotics, but complicated UTIs may require early imaging, and referral to the emergency department or hospitalisation to prevent urosepsis may be warranted. Escherichia coli remains the predominant uropathogen in acute community-acquired uncomplicated UTIs and amoxicillin-clavulanate is useful as a first-line antibiotic. Family physicians are capable of managing most UTIs if guided by appropriate history, investigations and appropriate antibiotics to achieve good outcomes and minimise antibiotic resistance.
Adult ; Aged ; Amoxicillin ; administration & dosage ; Amoxicillin-Potassium Clavulanate Combination ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Clavulanic Acid ; administration & dosage ; Cystitis ; drug therapy ; Drug Resistance, Microbial ; Escherichia coli ; Escherichia coli Infections ; drug therapy ; epidemiology ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Primary Health Care ; Risk Factors ; Urinary Tract Infections ; drug therapy ; epidemiology

Should healthcare workers (HCWs) be routinely tested for HIV? The authors reviewed the literature on the risk and incidence of HIV transmission from HCW to patients and offer recommendations for HIV testing in HCWs in Singapore. Management of HCWs who are tested seropositive for HIV infection is also discussed in this paper.
Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome ; epidemiology ; transmission ; HIV Infections ; diagnosis ; epidemiology ; transmission ; Health Personnel ; Humans ; Iatrogenic Disease ; prevention & control ; Infectious Disease Transmission, Professional-to-Patient ; prevention & control ; Occupational Health ; Risk Assessment ; Risk Factors ; Singapore ; epidemiology

Anti-Bacterial Agents ; therapeutic use ; Drug Resistance, Microbial ; drug effects ; Education, Medical, Continuing ; standards ; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice ; Humans ; Practice Guidelines as Topic ; Singapore

INTRODUCTIONThe influenza pandemic has generated much interest in the press and the medical world. We report our experience with 15 cases of severe novel influenza A H1N1 (2009) infections requiring intensive care. The aim of this review is to improve our preparedness for epidemics and pandemics by studying the most severely affected patients.

CLINICAL PICTUREDuring the epidemic, hospitals were required to provide data on all confirmed H1N1 cases admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU) to the Ministry of Health. We abstracted information from this dataset for this report. To highlight learning points, we reviewed the case notes of, and report, the fi ve most instructive cases.

TREATMENTThere were 15 cases admitted to an ICU from July 4, 2009 to August 30, 2009. Two patients died.

CONCLUSIONSThe lessons we wish to share include the following: preparedness should include having intermediate-care facilities that also provide single room isolation and skilled nursing abilities, stringent visitor screening should be implemented and influenza may trigger an acute myocardial infarction in persons with risk factors.

Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Hospitals, General ; Humans ; Influenza A Virus, H1N1 Subtype ; Influenza, Human ; physiopathology ; Intensive Care Units ; organization & administration ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Organizational Case Studies ; Severity of Illness Index ; Singapore