Diagnosing and treating VRE
There is no one-size-fits-all treatment for a VRE infection. Care depends on the type of infection, the specific bacteria involved, which antibiotics still work, and the patient's overall health.
How it is diagnosed
Doctors take a sample — blood, urine, wound fluid, or another body fluid — and send it to a microbiology lab. The lab grows the bacteria, identifies the species, and runs antibiotic susceptibility tests to see which drugs still work. Molecular tests can also detect specific resistance genes.
Antibiotic options
Because vancomycin no longer works, clinicians turn to other agents. Depending on the strain and the site of infection, options may include linezolid, daptomycin, tigecycline, and newer antibiotics. Combination therapy — using more than one drug — is sometimes chosen to improve the chances of success.
Infectious disease expertise matters
These infections are complex. An infectious disease specialist often guides treatment, choosing doses and combinations based on the latest lab results and clinical guidelines. Source control — removing an infected catheter or draining an abscess, for example — can be just as important as antibiotics.
What patients can do
- Take antibiotics exactly as prescribed, even if you start to feel better.
- Tell your care team about any allergies or past infections with resistant bacteria.
- Ask questions: which antibiotic was chosen, why, and what side effects to expect.
- Do not share antibiotics or use leftover prescriptions.
Note: This page describes general principles. Treatment must be directed by a qualified clinician who can review the actual lab results and the patient's condition.