National Policy for Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) Clearance and Discontinuation of Contact Precautions for CRE Carriers in Post–Acute Care Hospitals in Israel: Impact on Isolation-Days and New Acquisitions

Abstract Background In 2009, the Israeli Ministry of Health implemented in post–acute care hospitals (PACHs) a process of discontinuing carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) carrier status. We evaluated the policy’s impact on isolation-days, CRE prevalence among known carriers who had completed clearance testing, and CRE acquisition among noncarriers. Methods This retrospective study summarized findings from all 15 PACHs in 2009–2017. CRE carriers were considered cleared and removed from contact isolation after 2 rectal cultures negative for CRE and polymerase chain reaction negative for carbapenemases. Data sources included routine surveillance and 4 point prevalence surveys conducted from 2011 to 2017. Results During the study period, 887 of 6101 CRE carriers (14.5%) completed clearance testing. From 2013 to 2016, the percentage of patient-days in CRE isolation decreased from 9.4% to 3.9% (P = .008). In all surveys combined, there were 819 known CRE carriers; 411 (50%) had completed clearance testing. Of these, 11.4% (47/411) were CRE positive in the survey. At the ward level, the median percentage of patients with no CRE history who were positive on survey decreased from 11.3% in 2011 to 0% in 2017 (P < .001). We found no ward-level correlation between the proportion of carriers who completed clearance and new acquisitions (ρ = 0.02, P = .86). Conclusions A process for discontinuing CRE carrier status in PACHs led to a significant reduction in the percentage of patient-days in contact isolation without increasing CRE acquisitions among noncarriers. After implementation of Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) clearance testing in post–acute care hospitals, the percentage of patient-days in CRE isolation decreased from 9.4% to 3.9%, with no increase in risk of CRE acquisition among noncarriers.