Background: The use of contact precautions (CP) for patients with colonized or infected (endemic) methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is common in many hospitals, but emerging literature does not support CP over standard precautions in preventing hospital acquired infection. CP use has been associated with delays in admission and discharge, fewer bedside evaluations, preventable adverse events [...]

Case Presentation: A healthy 39-year-old man was admitted to the hospitalist service for an extensive rash that was suspicious for Stevens-Johnson Syndrome (SJS). He presented with diffuse bullae and desquamation of the pelvis and lower extremities (Image A). One week prior to admission, the patient applied topical Nigella sativa oil (colloquially known as black cumin [...]

Background: It has long been established that a critical aspect of high-quality patient care is patient-physician communication.1,2 There can be a variety of potential barriers to this communication, and one such barrier might be the use of contact isolation. Indeed, studies have shown that contact isolation does pose the risk of reducing face-to-face time between [...]