FDA Urges Hospitals to Check Mattresses

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA, Silver Spring, MD, USA) urge healthcare professionals to replace worn medical bed mattress covers to prevent the spread of contamination.

The warning follows 458 reports submitted to the FDA of medical bed mattress covers failing to prevent blood and body fluid ingress between January 2011 and January 2013. Fluid ingress may occur if mattress covers become worn or damaged from small holes or rips in the fabric or from incorrect cleaning, allowing effusions from one patient to penetrate the cover and leak out later, when another patient is placed on the same bed. Damaged covers can also lead to the mattress itself retaining seeping fluids, and the zipper on the mattress cover may also allow fluid to penetrate the mattress.

The FDA therefore recommend that healthcare professionals regularly inspect the mattress covers for visible signs of damage, removing them and inspecting their inside surface (as well as the mattress itself), for any visible signs of damage or wear such as cuts, tears, cracks, pinholes, snags or stains. Once the mattress cover is removed, the mattress should also be inspected for wet spots, staining, or signs of damage or wear on all sides, including the bottom of the mattress. Any medical bed mattress and/or cover with visible signs of damage or wear should be replaced immediately.

“Inspection may prove challenging because most mattress covers are a dark color,” cautioned the FDA. “Healthcare professionals should also create an inspection plan for all mattress covers used in the facility, and any damaged or leaking mattress covers should be replaced immediately.”

Medical bed mattress covers protect mattresses by keeping blood and body fluids from getting into the core of the mattress through water-resistance, waterproofing, or water repelling. These effects may be diluted over time and may vary from mattress cover to mattress cover. Healthcare staff may be largely unaware of the hazards posed by damaged protective coverings on medical beds and risks associated with them, including widespread contamination during infection outbreaks.

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US Food and Drug Administration