A recent study found that when long-term, acute-care hospitals used reusable mattress covers, their rate of hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) was reduced by 50 percent, according to an article on the American Laundry News website.
The study, published in the American Journal of Infection Control, examined two long-term, acute-care hospitals.
The study compared instances of Clostridium difficile (C. diff) by comparing infection rates before and after the two hospitals began using launderable mattress covers.
“The hospital mattress is clearly the highest contact point for patients during their hospital stay, and hospital linen does not provide a protective barrier for patients,” an author said.
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