What level of protection do sheets and other linens on the hospital mattress provide to germ-transmission?
The CDC recognizes that bed sheets do not protect mattresses from becoming contaminated with body fluids and substances.25 This means that any body fluids or pathogens from the patient can directly contact the mattress and vice versa. This puts patients at serious risk and emphasizes the importance of providing patients with a completely clean mattress and the need to perform high-level disinfection.23
References
23. Reprocessing Medical Devices in Health Care Settings: Validation Methods and Labeling. fda.gov. https://www.fda.gov/media/80265/download. Published March 17, 2015. Updated June 9, 2017. Accessed September 11, 2020.
25. Guidelines for Environmental Infection Control in Health-Care Facilities: G. Laundry and Bedding. cdc.gov. https://www.cdc.gov/infectioncontrol/pdf/guidelines/environmental-guidelines-P.pdf. Published 2003. Updated July, 2019. Accessed February 5, 2020. Pg. 118-119.