Extended-spectrum β-lactamases-producing Enterobacteriaceae (ESBL-E) is a critical antimicrobial resistance pathogen, to which we need to pay the greatest attention. This study was aimed at uncovering the present evidence for the preventive effectiveness of contact precautions for patients colonized or infected with ESBL-E.

According to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systemic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) Extension for Scoping Reviews, we searched MEDLINE for articles with relevant keywords from the beginning of 2010 to October 18, 2022.

Of the 355 articles found, 9, including 8 observational studies and 1 randomized controlled trial, were selected. Safety of discontinuing contact precautions was evaluated mainly in acute-care and long-term care hospitals. Consistently, all authors concluded that contact precautions can be safely discontinued in patients colonized or infected with ESBL-E.

The clinical impact of discontinuing contact precautions for patients with ESBL-E is minimal and can be safely withdrawn at acute, noncritical, adult care wards. Relevant data from pediatric and geriatric wards, as well as intensive care units, were insufficient and should be investigated in future research.