09/11/2025

You Asked... We Answered...

You Asked: Are Enhanced Barrier Precautions (EBP) recommended for healthcare settings other than nursing homes?

We Answered: No, EBP is not recommended for settings other than nursing homes. The Centers for Disease Control  and Prevention (CDC) states that at this time, CDC has not recommended implementation of Enhanced Barrier Precautions (EBP) in other healthcare settings. All healthcare facilities should have practices in place to prevent transmission of multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs). Acute care facilities routinely use Contact Precautions as one strategy to prevent MDRO transmission. Contact Precautions has created challenges for nursing homes trying to balance interventions to prevent MDRO transmission with residents' quality of life. EBP is a less restrictive approach to MDRO prevention that places fewer limitations on resident activities than Contact Precautions.

The studies that informed EBP, including defining which care activities most commonly result in transfer of MDROs to staff hands and clothing, were conducted in adult nursing home populations. Such activities and risks might be different among pediatric nursing home populations and additional consideration is needed when implementing EBP in these settings. Nursing homes with pediatric residents who implement EBP for their pediatric population as part of their MDRO prevention plan may need to redefine high-contact resident care activities based on the anticipated degree of contact and developmental abilities of pediatric residents (e.g., repositioning an infant compared to a young adult may require different levels of assistance).