It has helped us with laundering and curtain organizing within our facility. This means that hospitals, care homes and other facilities may face big challenges on curtain hygiene in the months ahead as demand for beds increases. However, recent developments have provoked further debate on whether curtains should be changed even more regularly, perhaps twice weekly, and certainly after a patient has been discharged. This points to the fact that hospital curtains should be changed more often than every two weeks. How often should hospital curtains be changed?Ī study by the University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, revealed that some 87% of hospital curtains became contaminated with MRSA after 14 days, even when the patients in those bays did not have MRSA.
They also come in a range of colors and patterns for an aesthetically pleasing interior that doesn’t compromise on hygiene. The polyester panels are opaque and antimicrobial, but also lightweight for significantly lower laundry costs. Standardised curtain panels mean your facility can reduce inventory by up to 50% and there’s no need for complex storage because one size fits everywhere. Staff do not need ladders to change an InstaSwap curtain – changes are performed at floor level. The two panels connect together with reinforced snap fasteners so when it’s time to change, simply pull off the lower panel and snap on a new one. The mesh height is customised to the ceiling height so that the lower curtain panels, made from opaque polyester, are all a standard size.
InstaSwap curtains have a mesh top panel made from non-absorbent nylon, which attaches to the curtain track with a simple eyelet mechanism. Last but not least, the standardised, lightweight panels make inventory a breeze while saving up to 50% on average laundry costs. A convenient, quick-change mechanism makes it simple and safe to switch out curtains often. By using anti-microbial curtain fabric, the system helps to prevent contamination in the first place. InstaSwap is an innovative modular curtain system that makes it easier to keep hospital curtains clean. How does InstaSwap improve hospital curtain hygiene? With our InstaSwap hospital curtain track system, Belroc can help to mitigate these challenges and more for better hygiene and lower risk. Cost is another factor – curtains are heavy and washing them is expensive. Staff must find the right curtain to fit the space, and then climb on ladders or step stools to unhook the soiled curtain before hanging the new one, risking falls. One of the reasons hospital curtains aren’t laundered more frequently is because the physical process of changing them is laborious and sometimes risky. Further research has shown that these curtains harbour pathogens, including antibiotic-resistant bacteria like MRSA and C.Difficile.
Despite being touched by patients, clinicians and visitors every time they enter or leave a patient bay, research shows that many facilities change their privacy curtains less than once a month. In Canada and the US, traditional hospital curtains are still found in all but the riskiest parts of the hospital, such as the ER or ICU. In Europe, the use of disposable hospital curtains has become the norm – but this brings with it huge questions around cost and environmental sustainability. By now we are all accustomed to using alcohol hand rubs and wearing masks everywhere we go, while extra cleaning protocols have been introduced in all public-facing venues, including healthcare facilities.įor hospitals specifically, one protocol that is coming under scrutiny is the changing of hospital curtains. Added to the annual pressures of the seasonal flu, many experts are warning that hospitals, care homes and other facilities are likely to come under significant pressure in the colder months ahead.īetter hygiene has been a primary line of defense in all attempts to stop the spread of the virus so far, along with restricting people’s movements and interactions. The first peak of Covid-19 has passed for most countries, but winter is approaching in the northern hemisphere and with it come many warnings about a possible second wave. Preventing the spread of infection has always been a number one priority for healthcare facilities, but never more so than now, as a pandemic sweeps the globe.
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