In 2012, with my colleague Dr. Michael Stevens, we published a paper which no one read. The paper explored a change in the routine use of contact precautions for MRSA and VRE and may be accessed here.We used our paper to support our argument for the discontinuation of contact precautions for the control of endemic MRSA and VRE at VCU Medical Center. The change was implemented and the strategy was a success. The results were published in Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology.
More recently, along with collaborators from the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA), we again explored the discontinuation of contact precautions for the control of MRSA and VRE in endemic settings, published here. We report that the majority (60%) of SHEA respondents were interested in using contact precautions differently. A handful of hospitals already do not isolate for MRSA and VRE. Not unexpectedly, in our thorough review of the literature, there is scant, quality evidence to support the use of contact precautions for the control of endemic MRSA and VRE.
Local needs and resources, not mandates, should drive the use of isolation precautions in healthcare settings.
This topic may now get more attention.
Stay tuned.
