Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococci (VRE)
Treatment
Most VRE infections can be treated with antibiotics other than vancomycin. Some of the antibiotics that fail to work because of intrinsic resistance include some types of penicillin, cephalosporins, clindamycin, and aminoglycosides. Treatments that are ineffective because of acquired resistance include vancomycin, some penicillins, macrolides (such as erythromycin), tetracycline, quinolones, and others.
The course of treatment is determined by testing different antibiotics in the laboratory to determine which ones might be most effective against the infectious strain. If you develop a VRE infection and have a urinary catheter, sometimes removing the catheter will clear the infection.
If you are colonized with VRE—the bacteria are present but have not caused an infection—you usually will not require treatment.