Choice of antibiotic and risk of colonization with vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus among patients admitted for treatment of community-acquired pneumonia.

A time-series prospective study of patients admitted to the hospital for treatment of community-acquired pneumonia was undertaken to determine vancomycin-resistant enterococcal perianal colonization rates among patients who received ceftriaxone with or without erythromycin versus those who received levofloxacin. A colonization rate of 16% (8/51) was found in the ceftriaxone-erythromycin group versus 0% (0/52) in the levofloxacin group .