The AEGON study is a German multicenter, prospective observational study. The study consists of two parts, which are carried out at all participating study sites and include two different patient cohorts. Part 1 focuses on the collection and analysis of rectal swabs from newly admitted VREf-negative patients at high risk of nosocomial VREf acquisition. Moreover, patients included into this part of the study will undergo in-depth documentation of clinical data if an antibiotic therapy is administered. Initiated antibiotic therapies will then be assessed by an AMS board (Antimicrobial Stewardship Board). In Part 2, environmental investigations will be performed in newly occupied single rooms of previously known VREf-positive patients. In addition, rectal swabs will be collected and data on antibiotic exposure of these patients will be documented in order to correlate the VRE contamination burden of surfaces with the intestinal VREf-load and antibiotic exposure.

Current studies show that Vancomycin-resistant Enterococci (VRE) have become increasingly widespread throughout Germany in recent years, especially E. faecium (VREf). Healthy individuals can come into contact with VREf in various ways, for example via the food chain, contaminated drinking water or animal contacts. A possibly caused low-grade colonisation of the gastrointestinal tract with VREf (so-called low-level colonisation) can remain undetected during hospital admission using routine screening methods. The AEGON study, based on the use of state-of-the-art molecular diagnostics and comprehensive clinical data collection, will provide a detailed analysis of the factors involved in the rapid spread of VREf. In addition, diagnostic detection limits of common screening methods are determined by the use of additional diagnostics such as enrichment culture or molecular VREf detection.

The study is a German multicenter, prospective observational study and consists of two parts, which are carried out at all participating study sites and include two different patient cohorts. Part 1 focuses on the collection and analysis of rectal swabs from newly admitted VRE-negative patients at high risk of nosocomial VREf acquisition. Moreover, patients included into this part of the study will undergo in-depth documentation of clinical data if an antibiotic therapy is administered. Initiated antibiotic therapies will then be assessed by an AMS board. In Part 2, environmental investigations will be performed in newly occupied single rooms of previously known VREf-positive patients. In addition, rectal swabs will be collected and data on antibiotic exposure of these patients will be documented in order to correlate the VRE contamination burden of surfaces with the intestinal VREf-load and antibiotic exposure. The AEGON study, based on the use of state-of-the-art molecular diagnostics and comprehensive clinical data collection, will provide a detailed analysis of the factors involved in the rapid spread of VREf. In addition, diagnostic detection limits of common screening methods are determined by the use of additional diagnostics such as enrichment culture or molecular VREf detection.

Part 1

Inclusion Criteria:

• ≥ 18 years
• Patients with malignant primary disease and current inpatient admission to a normal ward with expected inpatient stay of at least 15 days
• High risk of exposure to antibiotics during the stay
• Written informed consent of the patient after clarification has been given

Exclusion Criteria:

• Already known current or documented past colonisation or infection by VRE
• Simultaneous participation in other studies is only an exclusion criterion if the other study explicitly excludes participation in observational studies or if the other study complicates the interpretation of the endpoints of AEGON (e.g. double-blind study on antibiotic use).

The selection of patients to be included in Part 1 of the AEGON study is based on the risk stratification for the nosocomial acquisition of VREf performed in the CONTROL study.

It is planned to include a total of 150 patients from the participating study centers in Part 1. Based on the results of the CONTROL study, it can be assumed that within the selected target group in approx. 11% there is already an VREf colonisation by direct culture at admission and in 15% of the cases (22 of 150 patients) a nosocomial acquisition of VREf by direct culture (see method part) can be determined. Patients with VREcolonization detected at admission are excluded from the study.