Table 3. Hygiene management for vancomycin-resistant enterococci in hospitals.

	Stage I Standard precautions (general wards and outpatient units)	Stage II Contact isolation (at-risk patients*1 and risk areas*2,*3)
Spatial or organizational isolation (bed isolation)	–	+
Glove and coat precautions if direct contact with infectious materials	+	+
Mouth and nose protection if direct contact	–	–
Decolonization	–	–

^*1at-risk patients = infected patients, patients with secreting wounds, colonized patients with diarrhea, C difficile–associated diarrhea, stool incontinence, colonized patients with deficient personal hygiene

^*2risk areas = intensive care units, intermediate care units (monitoring units), hematology/oncology units (immunosuppressed patients in risk groups 2 and 3; transplantation units/ room), liver transplantation units and ICU/IMC with a high percentage of visceral surgical or gastroenterological patients; neonatology units and dialysis stations; ICU, intensive care unit, IMC, intermediate care;

^*3during VRE outbreak, also recommended for general wards.

+ recommended

- not recommended /decolonization not possible