The uncertainty and controversy about how best to apply contact precautions, particularly for endemic pathogens, continues.
Here is a recent publication in Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology that assessed contact precautions across eleven university hospitals. As the proportion of patients in contact isolation increases, compliance with contact isolation precautions decreases.
Of particular interest was the finding that placing 40% of patients under contact precautions was a tipping point for noncompliance with contact isolation precautions.
To me this further suggests that we should be thoughtful and judicious in the application of contact isolation precautions for our patients.
No doubt there will be more coming on this subject.
