Should Contact Precautions Be Used for Patients with MRSA Infection and Colonization in Acute Care Settings?

ABSTRACT

Are Contact Precautions for Patients with MRSA Useful?MRSA infections lead to substantial morbidity and mortality. Hospitals commonly implement "contact precautions" to reduce MRSA transmission; however, recent studies have challenged the effectiveness of this strategy, and the use of contact precautions has been associated with certain adverse events. This article reviews the existing evidence and proposes a randomized trial to assess the efficacy of contact precautions in preventing MRSA transmission.