Columbia University researchers have found data from four New York hospitals that show beds are full of germs, according to an article on the Tyler Morning Telegraph website.
The study found being in a bed previously used by a patient with an infection ups the own risk of infection by 583 percent, according to the current issue of Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology.
The researchers conclude that “enhanced cleaning measures” are needed.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), concur, urging more “aggressive” infection control measures. And recently, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warned hospitals for a second time about the germs that can build up inside a mattress.
Covers should be routinely removed, so the contents can be inspected. “If blood or body fluids from one patient penetrate and get absorbed in a mattress, the fluids can leak out the next time the mattress is used,” harming the next patient, according to the FDA.
Why A Skilled Cleaning Staff Matters in Operating Rooms
General Leonard Wood Community Hospital Opening Date Set
Heritage Communities Experiences Data Breach
State of the Facilities Management Industry in 2025
City of Hope to Open New Cancer Specialty Hospital in California