Enhanced Barrier Precautions and PPE Usage in Nursing Homes

CDC guidance on Enhanced Barrier Precautions (EBP) has changed how much PPE nursing homes use daily. And it's not a small change.

What EBP is

EBP is an infection-control measure targeting multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs) in nursing homes. Research from the CDC shows that more than 50% of nursing home residents may carry MDROs without showing any symptoms. Staff often don't know a resident is colonized, which means they might skip gown and glove use during routine care. EBP closes that gap.

Under EBP, staff wear gowns and gloves during high-contact care activities for any resident who has a wound, an indwelling medical device (urinary catheter, feeding tube, central line), or known MDRO colonization. High-contact activities include dressing, bathing, toileting, transferring, repositioning, wound care, and linen changes.

What This Does to Your Supply Budget

Before EBP, most facilities only used gowns and gloves under full contact precautions, which applied to a small portion of the census. EBP covers a much larger group of residents during routine daily care. That means more gloves, more gowns, and faster reorder cycles than most facilities budgeted for.

CDC's implementation guidance also says PPE should be available at the point of care, outside or near each resident's room, not just at a supply cart down the hall. So the facility isn't just using more PPE. It's distributing it across the building differently, which makes tracking usage harder if the ordering system hasn't caught up.