What is the position on the duration of Contact Precautions for patients colonized or infected with multidrug-resistant organisms?

1. The duration of Contact Precautions for patients colonized or infected with multidrug-resistant organisms remains undefined. 2. Colonization with these organisms can persist for many months, especially with severe underlying disease, invasive devices and repeated courses of antimicrobials. 3. Three negative weekly stool cultures were an early suggestion for resistant enterococci, but such screening can miss carriage lasting over a year. 4. Starting antimicrobials does not clear carriage, so no fixed 48 hour rule applies. 5. One approach is to assume carriers are colonized permanently, another is to reculture after a clear interval, and the better strategy is not yet settled. 6. That is why a fixed six month rule cannot be stated as the answer. _Source: CDC Guideline for Isolation Precautions: Preventing Transmission of Infectious Agents in Healthcare Settings (2007), Part III, section III.D. Discontinuation of Transmission-Based Precautions_