Researchers developed a launderable mattress cover that can help reduce hospital-onset Clostridium difficile, according to a study covered by MD Magazine.
To determine whether a launderable bed barrier could help reduce the infection, the researchers conducted retrospective pre- and post-bed barrier studies at an acute care hospital in Kentucky.
Between September 2014 and March 2016, the pre-bed barrier period served as the baseline for establishing the rate of hospital-onset C. diff. The bed barrier was brought to the hospital in April 2016; September 2018 ended the post-period for the study.
Although the barrier was used on 97 percent of all beds, when calculating the C. diff rates, all hospital-onset C. diff infections during the post bed barrier were included in the study.
In the preintervention period, there were 34 hospital-onset C. diff infections and 42,672 patient days. In the postintervention period, there were 31 hospital-onset C. diff infections and 65,882 patient days.
From these results, the researchers concluded launderable bed barriers were linked to a statistically and clinically significant C. diff reduction in an acute care hospital.
"[The cover] basically allows the hospitals to do a couple of things. One, it [allows the hospitals] to ensure that the bed and bed deck are cleaned, which they aren't doing today. Two, it allows them turn the room over quickly, yet still cleaned," researcher Edmond Hooker, DrPH, professor at Cincinnati-based Xavier University, told MD Magazine. "Even though you pay for the cover and have to launder the cover, it ends up being cheaper because you prevent a lot of infections, and you get the bedrooms turned over quicker."