Contact precautions for multidrug-resistant organisms: Current recommendations and actual practice

Background: Contact precautions are recommended for interactions with patients colonized/infected with multidrug- resistant organisms; however, actual rates of implementation of contact precautions are unknown. Methods: Observers recorded the availability of supplies and staff/visitor adherence to contact precautions at rooms of patients indicated for contact precautions. Data were collected at 3 sites in a New York City hospital network. Results: Contact precautions signs were present for 85.4% of indicated patients. The largest proportions were indicated for isolation for vancomycin-resistant enterococci and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus cultures. Isolation carts were available outside 93.7% to 96.7% of rooms displaying signs, and personal protective equipment was available at rates of 49.4% to 72.1% for gloves (all sizes: small, medium, and large) and 91.7% to 95.2% for gowns. Overall adherence rates on room entry and exit, respectively, were 19.4% and 48.4% for hand hygiene, 67.5% and 63.5% for gloves, and 67.9% and 77.1% for gowns. Adherence was significantly better in intensive care units (P<.05) and by patient care staff (P<.05), and patient care staff compliance with one contact precautions behavior was predictive of adherence to additional behaviors (P<.001). Conclusions: Our findings support the recommendation that methods to monitor contact precautions and identify and correct nonadherent practices should be a standard component of infection prevention and control programs.