Evaluation of mattresses' disinfection techniques at a health unit

Abstract

The hospital environment consists of many elements. Air quality, water supply and the inanimate surfaces that surround the patient are directly related to hospital infections, for they are a focus of infection and transmission of diseases. The cleaning and disinfection of a patients unit is one of the nursing team responsibilities. Its objective is to offer a safer biological environment. This study aims to compare two commonly used hospital bed cleaning techniques to test their effectiveness in reducing microorganisms. It was performed in a medium sized hospital in the São Paulo. Technique 1 employed a unidirectional cleaning from the cleanest to the most contaminated area. Technique 2 used circular movements not considering the degree of contamination in the mattress's areas. The samples were collected from 12 beds before and after the cleaning. Once the samples were collected and analyzed results demonstrated that cleaning technique 2 allowed a greater reduction in microbial count compared to technique 1. Although results showed a greater effectiveness of technique 2 in relation to technique 1 further studies are necessary in a larger number of hospital beds, new products and techniques