Pilot precautions study yields cost savings, no increase in infections

A three-month pilot study of discontinuing contact precautions for patients with select infections saved money for participating hospitals without increasing infection rates. Researchers conducted the study at a community hospital and a level II teaching hospital with fewer than 400 beds. The study was published in the September issue of the American Journal of Infection Control. During the study period, contact precautions were replaced by standard precautions. The overall incidence density rate for hospital-onset, laboratory-identified MRSA bacteremia decreased while the rate for VRE bacteremia remained the same. Estimated cost savings from reducing staff time and personal protective equipment equaled $32,520 for the study period.