We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience. This includes personalizing content and advertising. To learn more, click here. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies. Cookie Policy.

Features Partner Sites Information LinkXpress
Sign In
Advertise with Us

Download Mobile App




Hospital Privacy Curtains May Shroud Resistant Bacteria

By HospiMedica International staff writers
Posted on 08 Oct 2018
Print article
Image
Image
A new study suggests that hospital privacy curtains can pose a serious threat to patient safety by harboring resistant bacteria.

Researchers at the University of Manitoba (Winnipeg, Canada) and the Health Sciences Centre (HSC; Winnipeg, Canada) conducted a prospective study to track the contamination rate of 10 freshly laundered polyester/cotton blend privacy curtains (eight test curtains surrounding patient beds and two controls) in the HSC regional burns and plastics unit. Over 21 days, cultures were taken using contact plates near the edge hem, where they are most frequently touched. Microbial contamination and presence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) were determined.

The results revealed that the curtains had minimal contamination when they were first hung. At day 10, the curtains showed increased positivity, and by day 14, 87.5% of the curtains tested positive for MRSA; none of the rooms where the curtains were placed were occupied by patients that had MRSA. By day 21, almost all curtains exceeded 2.5 CFU/cm of MRSA. In contrast, the control curtains, which were not placed in patient rooms, stayed clean for the entire 21 days. The study was published in the September 2018 issue of the American Journal of Infection Control.

“We know that privacy curtains pose a high risk for cross-contamination because they are frequently touched, but infrequently changed,” said lead author Kevin Shek, BSc, of the University of Manitoba. “The high rate of contamination that we saw by the fourteenth day may represent an opportune time to intervene, either by cleaning or replacing the curtains.”

Hospital privacy curtains surrounding patient beds are at a high risk for cross-contamination for several reasons. First, they are frequently touched by the freshly washed hands of healthcare workers before touching patients; second, they often hang in place for weeks or months without being changed; and third, many people are less likely to disinfect their hands after contact with inanimate objects. Privacy curtains embedded with antimicrobial technology may play a future role in decreasing transmission of healthcare associated pathogens.

Related Links:
University of Manitoba
Health Sciences Centre

Gold Member
Disposable Protective Suit For Medical Use
Disposable Protective Suit For Medical Use
Gold Member
STI Test
Vivalytic Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI) Array
Silver Member
Compact 14-Day Uninterrupted Holter ECG
NR-314P
New
Electrosurgical Unit
es 120

Print article

Channels

Surgical Techniques

view channel
Image: The Early Bird Bleed Monitoring System provides visual and audible indicators of the onset and progression of bleeding events (Photo courtesy of Saranas)

Novel Technology Monitors and Lowers Bleeding Complications in Patients Undergoing Heart Procedures

Bleeding complications at the femoral access site can significantly hamper recovery, affecting the success of procedures, patient satisfaction, and overall healthcare costs. It is crucial for surgeons... Read more

Patient Care

view channel
Image: The newly-launched solution can transform operating room scheduling and boost utilization rates (Photo courtesy of Fujitsu)

Surgical Capacity Optimization Solution Helps Hospitals Boost OR Utilization

An innovative solution has the capability to transform surgical capacity utilization by targeting the root cause of surgical block time inefficiencies. Fujitsu Limited’s (Tokyo, Japan) Surgical Capacity... Read more

Health IT

view channel
Image: First ever institution-specific model provides significant performance advantage over current population-derived models (Photo courtesy of Mount Sinai)

Machine Learning Model Improves Mortality Risk Prediction for Cardiac Surgery Patients

Machine learning algorithms have been deployed to create predictive models in various medical fields, with some demonstrating improved outcomes compared to their standard-of-care counterparts.... Read more

Point of Care

view channel
Image: The new eye-safe laser technology can diagnose traumatic brain injury (Photo courtesy of 123RF)

Novel Diagnostic Hand-Held Device Detects Known Biomarkers for Traumatic Brain Injury

The growing need for prompt and efficient diagnosis of traumatic brain injury (TBI), a major cause of mortality globally, has spurred the development of innovative diagnostic technologies.... Read more
Copyright © 2000-2024 Globetech Media. All rights reserved.