Hospital bed mattresses: An overlooked healthcare hazard (Follow up)

As a follow-up to my previous blog post about the problem of hospital bed mattresses being contaminated, I would like to go into further detail the recommendations provided by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). As previously mentioned, the FDA recommends that healthcare facilities take preventative measures against contamination of hospital bed mattresses in four simple steps: inspection, removal and replacement, maintenance and the development of an inspection plan.

Hospital bed matressesSource: Flickr

Inspection involves routinely checking the bed mattress cover for any signs of damage, stains or tears, as well as checking if the bed mattress cover is past its expiry date (Yes – bed covers do have a limited lifespan). It is also important to frequently remove the cover and check the inside surface, as well the mattress itself for these same conditions.

Next, it is important to replace any mattress covers with visible signs of damage or stains. Also, mattresses with damage or visible stains should be removed immediately.

For maintenance, it is important to clean and disinfect undamaged bed mattress covers. This can be done according to the bed cover cleaning guidelines given by the manufacturer.

Finally, FDA suggests that healthcare facilities develop an inspection plan that can be applied for all medical bed mattresses and covers. It is important to check the expected life of the bed mattress, as well as the cover.

 

Source: Infection Control Today. Vol. 22. No. 1. January 2018.