Bowel colonization with vancomycin-resistant enterococci after antimicrobial therapy for intra-abdominal infections: observations from 2 randomized comparative clinical trials of ertapenem therapy

The impact of different antimicrobial regimens for intra-abdominal infections on the frequency of bowel colonization with vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) was examined in 2 randomized open-label trials of intra-abdominal infection comparing piperacillin–tazobactam or ceftriaxone/metronidazole with ertapenem. In these short-term studies, overall rates of bowel colonization with VRE were generally comparable after treatment with piperacillin–tazobactam, ceftriaxone/metronidazole, or ertapenem.