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

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.