Long-Term Impact of Universal Contact Precautions on Rates of Multidrug-Resistant Organisms in ICUs: A Comparative Effectiveness Study.

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the impact of universal contact precautions (UCP) on rates of multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs) in intensive care units (ICUs) over 9 yearsDESIGNRetrospective, nonrandomized observational studySETTINGAn 800-bed adult academic medical center in New York CityPARTICIPANTSAll patients admitted to 6 ICUs, 3 of which instituted UCP in 2007METHODSUsing a comparative effectiveness approach, we studied the longitudinal impact of UCP on MDRO incidence density rates, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, vancomycin-resistant enterococci, and carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae. Data were extracted from a clinical research database for 2006-2014. Monthly MDRO rates were compared between the baseline period and the UCP period, utilizing time series analyses based on generalized linear models. The same models were also used to compare MDRO rates in the 3 UCP units to 3 ICUs without UCPs.RESULTSOverall, MDRO rates decreased over time, but there was no significant decrease in the trend (slope) during the UCP period compared to the baseline period for any of the 3 intervention units. Furthermore, there was no significant difference between UCP units (6.6% decrease in MDRO rates per year) and non-UCP units (6.0% decrease per year; P=.840).CONCLUSIONThe results of this 9-year study suggest that decreases in MDROs, including multidrug-resistant gram-negative bacilli, were more likely due to hospital-wide improvements in infection prevention during this period and that UCP had no detectable additional impact.Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2018;39:534-540.