/ en Tue, 22 Oct 2024 23:27:07 -0500 Wed, 06 Dec 17 15:27:33 -0600 /hospital-beds <p>December 6th, 2017 | <strong>Formats:</strong> Guideline | <strong>Content Areas: </strong>Environmental Sanitation Operations, Textile Management Operations | <strong>Tags: </strong>Beds, Laundry and Textiles, Linen</p> <hr /> <header role="heading"> <section data-block-plugin-id="entity_view:node" id="block-entityviewcontent-14"> <p>Between January 1, 1985 and January 1, 2013, FDA received 901 incidents of patients caught, trapped, entangled, or strangled in hospital beds. The reports included 531 deaths, 151 nonfatal injuries, and 220 cases where staff needed to intervene to prevent injuries. Most patients were frail, elderly or confused.</p> </section> </header> <p>The efforts of the FDA and the Hospital Bed Safety Workgroup have culminated in FDA's release of <a href="https://www.fda.gov/media/71460/download" target="">Hospital Bed System Dimensional and Assessment Guidance to Reduce Entrapment</a>. This guidance provides recommendations for manufacturers of new hospital beds and for facilities with existing beds (including hospitals, nursing homes, and private residences).</p> <p>Healthcare facilities developing comprehensive bed safety programs should consider:</p> <ul> <li>following the Clinical Guidance for the Assessment and Implementation of Bed Rails to assess an individual patient's needs when using a side rail; and</li> <li>consulting with the hospital bed manufacturer and their facilities’ risk managers.</li> </ul> <p>The HBSW has developed a <a href="https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/hospital-beds/hbsw-hospital-bed-safety-entrapment-kit-ordering-instructions">Bed Safety Entrapment Kit</a> containing information and tools that can be used to assess the risk of entrapment in hospital beds. Additional information about the kit is also provided in the FDA Guidance.<br />  </p> <p><a href="https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/general-hospital-devices-and-supplies/hospital-beds">https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/general-hospital-devices-and-supplies/hospital-beds</a></p> Wed, 06 Dec 2017 15:27:33 -0600 Beds /covers-hospital-bed-mattresses-learn-how-keep-them-safe <p>December 6th, 2017 | <strong>Formats:</strong> Guideline | <strong>Content Areas: </strong>Environmental Sanitation Operations, Textile Management Operations | <strong>Tags: </strong>Beds, Environmental hygiene and Sanitation, Laundry and Textiles, Linen, Policies</p> <hr /> <p>Hospital beds refer to a variety of medical devices that are classified as beds. FDA regulations classify hospital beds as Class I and Class II devices. These devices are used for patients in acute care, long-term care, or home care settings. A hospital bed system encompasses the bed frame and its components, including the bed side rails, head and foot board, the mattress, and any accessories added to the bed, such a detachable mattress cover.</p> <p>A hospital bed mattress cover provides outer protection to a mattress by preventing blood and other body fluids from entering the inside (inner core) of the mattress. Such covers may be coated with or contain an antimicrobial solution that kills germs (viruses or bacteria) or prevents bacterial growth. There are multiple terms used to describe hospital bed mattress covers: water-resistant (keeps liquid away from the material), water-proof (prevents liquid from entering inside the material), or water-repellent (keeps liquid away from the material and prevents liquid from entering inside the material). Covers are usually detachable from the mattress or the mattress lining, meaning that they can be removed or replaced.</p> <h4><strong>Safety Concerns</strong></h4> <p>Over time, hospital bed mattress covers can wear out and allow blood and body fluids to penetrate and get trapped inside mattresses. 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. Coming into contact with these fluids poses a risk of infection to patients using the bed.</p> <p>The FDA issued a <a href="https://wayback.archive-it.org/7993/20170722215739/https:/www.fda.gov/MedicalDevices/Safety/AlertsandNotices/ucm348016.htm" target="_blank">safety communication</a> in 2013 alerting health care providers, health care facility staff, and caregivers to these safety concerns. From 2011 through 2016, the FDA has received over 700 reports of a hospital bed mattress cover failing to prevent blood or body fluids from leaking into the mattress.</p> <h4>Recommendations</h4> <p>These recommendations are based on <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/infectioncontrol/guidelines/environmental/index.html" target="_blank">guidelines</a> for environmental infection control in health care facilities issued by the <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/" target="_blank">Centers for Disease Control and Prevention</a> (CDC). They are intended to help health care providers, health care facility staff, and caregivers ensure hospital bed mattress covers are safe for use in health care settings.</p> <h5><br /> Develop an Inspection Plan</h5> <ul> <li>Create an inspection plan for all hospital bed mattresses and mattress covers in your facility.</li> <li>Check the manufacturers’ guidelines for an expected life time on the hospital bed mattress and mattress covers and follow any additional recommendations listed there.</li> <li>Contact the mattress cover manufacturer for any additional questions not covered here.</li> </ul> <h5>Inspect</h5> <ul> <li>Regularly check each hospital bed mattress cover for any visible signs of damage or wear such as cuts, tears, cracks, pinholes, snags, or stains.</li> <li>Routinely remove the hospital bed mattress cover and check its inside surface. Once the mattress cover is removed, inspect the mattress for wet spots, staining, or signs of damage or wear. Check all sides and the bottom of the mattress.</li> <li>Be aware that it may be difficult to identify damaged or soiled mattresses without removing the mattress covers first. Mattress covers tend to be dark in color, making it hard to see what lies underneath.</li> </ul> <h5>Remove and Replace</h5> <ul> <li>Remove any damaged, worn, or visibly stained hospital bed mattress according to the health care facility’s procedures and manufacturer’s instructions.</li> <li>Immediately replace any hospital bed mattress cover with visible signs of stains, damage or wear to reduce the risk of infection to patients.</li> </ul> <h5>Maintain</h5> <ul> <li>Clean and disinfect undamaged hospital bed mattress covers according to the manufacturer’s guidelines.</li> <li>DO NOT stick needles into a hospital bed mattress through the mattress cover.</li> </ul> <h4>Hospital Bed Mattresses Covers Safety Poster</h4> <p>The FDA has developed a poster addressing key safety aspects about hospital bed mattress covers, including the recommendations listed above. This poster is available for free download and can be used as a safety reminder about hospital bed mattress covers in health care settings.</p> <p> </p> <p><a href="https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/hospital-beds/covers-hospital-bed-mattresses-learn-how-keep-them-safe">https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/hospital-beds/covers-hospital-bed-mattresses-learn-how-keep-them-safe</a></p> Wed, 06 Dec 2017 15:16:50 -0600 Beds /pulling-back-sheets-bed-bug-controversy <h4>By Ron Harrison, Ph.D., B.C.E. and Bill Lawrence, Ph.D., B.C.E.</h4><p>May 22, 2017 | <strong>Formats:</strong> White Paper | <strong>Content Areas:</strong> Administration, Environmental Sanitation Operations, Regulatory Compliance | <strong>Tags:</strong> Beds, Chemicals , Contracting, Cost Management, Disaster/Outbreak Preparedness, Environmental hygiene and sanitation, Infection Prevention and Epidemiology, Laundry and Textiles, Linen , Pest Control, Process Improvement</p><hr><p>Bed bugs exhibit a number of unique characteristics that make them problematic pests: parasites that are almost exclusive to humans; bites that frequently produce no reaction; nocturnal feeders that stay out of sight during the day, making them difficult to detect. The severity of the risk presented to humans is inconclusive. Clearly, further research is needed to define the degree of the the threat that bed bugs pose. Until then, prevention and early detection are the best practices.</p><p>Health care providers will need to rely on their staff for an effective monitoring and prevention strategy. Working hand in hand with your pest management professional, staff education and cooperation is essential to identifying and reporting potential bed bug infestations. Your pest management professional can educate employees about the pests, harborage points and signs of their presence. They can also train staff on sanitation practices and monitoring activities that will reduce the risk of a bed bug infestation and ensure that if bed bugs do enter your facility, they don't take up residence.</p><p>As the debate around bed bug continues to evolve and further research brings to light new information about these pests, the prevention and management practices will also evolve. In the meantime, rest easy with a proactive approach and the advice of a trained pest management professional. <br> </p> Mon, 22 May 2017 09:27:20 -0500 Beds