Contact Precautions Stats and Facts

FACTS

  1. HIV-containing cell or tissue cultures, organ cultures, and HIV- or HBV-containing culture medium or other solutions; blood, organs, or other tissues from experimental animals infected with HIV or HBV.
  2. Universal precautions do not apply to sputum, feces, sweat, vomit, tears, urine, or nasal secretions unless they are visibly contaminated with blood because their transmission of Hepatitis B or HIV is extremely low or non-existent.
  3. PPE defined by the CDC required before entering a contact precaution designated room is always gloves and a gown.
  4. Mask and eye protection are additionally required if contact with bodily secretions is possible.
  5. Many illnesses spread through contact transmission. Examples are chicken pox, common cold, conjunctivitis (Pink Eye), Hepatitis A and B, herpes simplex (cold sores), influenza, measles, mononucleosis, Fifth disease, pertussis, adeno/rhino viruses, Neisseria meningitidis and mycoplasma pneumoniae.

STATS

  • The CDC estimates that about 385,000 sharps-related injuries occur annually among health care workers in hospitals—with nurses the most affected healthcare occupation. The average risk of bloodborne infection following one of these all-too-common injuries is approximately 1.8%. 
  • From 2005 to 2014, the overall estimated incidence of invasive MRSA infections from normally sterile sites (i.e., blood, pleural fluid, etc.) in the United States declined by 40% and the estimated incidence of invasive hospital-onset MRSA infections declined by 65%. 
  • Compliance with hand hygiene was as follows: prior to donning gowns/gloves, 37.2%; gowning, 74.3%; gloving, 80.1%; doffing of gowns/gloves, 80.1%; after gown/glove removal, 61%. Compliance with all components was 28.9%. As the burden of isolation increased (20% or less to greater than 60%), a decrease in compliance with hand hygiene (43.6%-4.9%) and with all 5 components (31.5%-6.5%) was observed. 
  • As the proportion of patients in contact isolation increases, compliance with contact isolation precautions decreases. Placing 40% of patients under contact precautions represents a tipping point for noncompliance with contact isolation precautions measures.