VRE
Medical abbreviation · Infectious Disease
| Stands for | Vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus |
|---|---|
| Categories | Medical |
VRE stands for Vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus, an infectious disease abbreviation.
Enterococci, usually Enterococcus faecium, that have acquired resistance to vancomycin. They colonize the gut of hospitalized patients and cause urinary, bloodstream, wound and intra-abdominal infections, mainly in people with long hospital stays, prior antibiotics or weakened immunity.
Example: Rectal screen positive for VRE; contact precautions per policy, daptomycin for bacteremia.
Usage notes
VRE was first reported in Europe in the late 1980s and spread rapidly in US hospitals during the 1990s. Linezolid and high-dose daptomycin are the main treatments. Colonization without infection does not need antibiotics. Pronounced as letters.
Related abbreviations
More infectious disease abbreviations
- ACIP – Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices
- AIDS – Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome
- AMR – Antimicrobial resistance
- ARF – Acute rheumatic fever
- ART – Antiretroviral therapy
- ASP – Antimicrobial stewardship program
- BCG – Bacillus Calmette-Guérin
- BSI – Bloodstream infection
- C. diff – Clostridioides difficile
- CD4 – Cluster of differentiation 4 (CD4 T-cell count)
- CDI – Clostridioides difficile infection
- CMV – Cytomegalovirus
See all 92 infectious disease abbreviations →
This entry is for general education and is not medical advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.