Evaluation of contact precautions for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

12-1-2017

Publication Title

American journal of infection control

Abstract

BACKGROUND: There are limited controlled data demonstrating contact precautions (CPs) prevent methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE) infections in endemic settings. We evaluated changes in hospital-acquired MRSA and VRE infections after discontinuing CPs for these organisms.

METHODS: This is a retrospective study done at an 800-bed teaching hospital in urban Detroit. CPs for MRSA and VRE were discontinued hospital-wide in 2013. Data on MRSA and VRE catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs), ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP), central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs), surgical site infections (SSIs), and hospital-acquired MRSA bacteremia (HA-MRSAB) rates were compared before and after CPs discontinuation.

RESULTS: There were 36,907 and 40,439 patients hospitalized during the two 12-month periods: CPs and no CPs. Infection rates in the CPs and no-CPs periods were as follows: (1) MRSA infections: VAP, 0.13 versus 0.11 (P = .84); CLABSI, 0.11 versus 0.19 (P = .45); SSI, 0 versus 0.14 (P = .50); and CAUTI, 0.025 versus 0.033 (P = .84); (2) VRE infections: CAUTI, 0.27 versus 0.13 (P = .19) and CLABSI, 0.29 versus 0.3 (P = .94); and (3) HA-MRSAB rates: 0.14 versus 0.11 (P = .55), respectively.

CONCLUSIONS: Discontinuation of CPs did not adversely impact endemic MRSA and VRE infection rates.

Medical Subject Headings

Bacteremia; Cross Infection; Humans; Infection Control; Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus; Pneumonia, Ventilator-Associated; Population Surveillance; Retrospective Studies; Staphylococcal Infections; Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococci

PubMed ID

28843943

Volume

45

Issue

12

First Page

1369

Last Page

1371

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