Study: Contact Precautions Still Provoke Controversy

Although contact precautions are necessary in some circumstances, some infection prevention specialists and healthcare providers believe there are limitations to the contact precautions approach and that the practices may actually be harmful to patients in some cases, according to an article published in the American Journal of Nursing.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, contact precautions are a set of practices that are more stringent than standard precautions and are meant to contain the risk of infections such as MRSA. Although the application in some cases, such as MRSA-positive infections, is required, patients who are not infected but rather colonized with multi-drug resistant organisms make up a "gray area." Some published studies suggest isolating patients may have a psychological impact, leading to feelings of stigmatization, loneliness, depression and anxiety.

The article's authors also wrote that many healthcare professionals and organizations find success in "different levels and implementation" of contact precautions, so evaluating and comparing the true impact of contact precautions is difficult. Published studies also demonstrate mixed results.

Read the study about contact precautions.

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