How often should hospital mattresses be inspected for damage?
According to the instructions for use of the major hospital bed manufacturers, hospital mattresses should be visually inspected after every patient to determine if they have been compromised and whether they are safe for continued use.39,41 Unfortunately, damage often goes unnoticed since it can be invisible to the naked eye.5,9,56 Many mattresses have sewn zipper seams around the perimeter and small holes can develop in the mattress cover as a result of chemical damage or everyday wear-and-tear allowing fluid ingress.16 This means that the mattress core needs to be inspected after each use to ensure fluids have not leaked inside.
Joint Commission now mandates that hospitals have a hospital wide infection prevention and control program for surveillance, prevention, and control of hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) and infectious diseases. This includes performing hospital mattress inspections.
FOLLOW-UP: Ask your mattress manufacturer how often mattresses should be inspected, who should inspect them, how to inspect them, and the estimated time needed to inspect them.
References
5. Vickery K, Deva A, Jacombs A, Allan J, Valente P, Gosbell IB. Presence of biofilm containing viable multiresistant organisms despite terminal cleaning on clinical surfaces in an intensive care unit. J Hosp Infect. 2012;80(1), 52-55. doi:10.1016/j.jhin.2011.07.007
9. van der Mee-Marquet N, Girard S, Lagarrigue F, et al. Multiresistant Enterobacter cloacae outbreak in an intensive care unit associated with therapeutic beds. Crit Care. 2006;10(1):405. doi:10.1186/cc4835
16. Covers for Hospital Bed Mattresses: Learn How to Keep Them Safe. fda.gov. https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/hospital-beds/covers-hospital-bed-mattresses-learn-how-keep-them-safe. Published November 20, 2017. Accessed September 4, 2020.
39. Best Practices for Cleansing, Disinfecting, and Care of Polyurethane Support Surface Covers. National Pressure Injury Advisory Panel. https://cdn.ymaws.com/npiap.com/resource/resmgr/s3i/S3i_NPIAP_Cleansing_Disinfec.pdf. Published 2020. Accessed April 13, 2021.
41. Stryker® Maintenance Manual: Isolibrium™ Support Surface (REV B). Stryker. https://techweb.stryker.com/Support_Surfaces/2971/0815/maintenance/2971-009-002B.pdf. Published 2017. Accessed September 4, 2020.
56. Bradbury SL, Mack D, Crofts T, Ellison RT. Potential bloodborne pathogen exposure from occult mattress damage. Am J Infect Control. 2014;42(4):421-422. doi:10.1016/j.ajic.2013.10.011