Key Points
➤ This expert guidance document provides recommendations regarding
discontinuation of contact precautions (CP) at the individual patient
level in acute-care hospitals employing CP for 1 or more of the following
organisms: methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA),
vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE), Clostridium difficile (CDI), and
multidrug-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (MDR-E), including carbapenem-
resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) and extended-spectrum β-lactamase
(ESBL)–producing organisms.
➤ Recommendations herein are based on synthesis of limited evidence,
theoretical rationale, current practices, practical considerations, the
opinion of the writing group, consideration of potential harms, and a survey
of 134 institutions within the SHEA Research Network, 26% of which are
outside the United States and Canada.