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Table 1 Cost of the eradication of a vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (VRE) outbreak in severely ill colonized patients (n = 13 patients, 16 stays)

From: Eradication of an outbreak of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE): the cost of a failure in the systematic screening

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Cost, 2008 Euros*

Infection control measures (A)

60 524

  Staffing (overtime plus interim staff)

5 719

  Gowns, gloves, single use materials, hydroalcoholic solutions, disinfection procedures

14 538

  Screening and surveillance cultures, typing of isolates

15 125

  Antibiotics

25 142

Loss of income from spare isolation beds† (B)

110 915

VRE-related hospital loss (A + B)

171 439

  1. *One Euro was approximately equivalent to 1.30 US Dollar or 0.90 UK Pound.
  2. †Loss of 33 admissions, compared to the same period in the preceding year.