Infection prevention
Increased touch points A reusable or plastic bed pan is difficult to effectively clean and completely decontaminate, microorganisms can be harboured within cracks, chips, and damaged body work, which can spread infection to each patient each time it is used, and can also increase the risk of a healthcare worker or patient touching excrement. During manual cleaning, a reusable product will also have to be manually handled and placed onto the bedpan drying rack, most likely with the healthcare professional using the same pair of gloves throughout the whole process.
If using a bed pan washer, the product will
be removed from the machine by a healthcare professional and placed on the drying rack. This increases the risk of any contamination from the healthcare professional’s PPE and gloves being transferred to the cleaned bed pan, and then to be picked up again for the next use by another healthcare professional for another patient. Manually cleaning a used bed pan further increases the required human interaction with the medical disinfection products, such as any bottles of cleaning solutions, and significantly increases the chances of transmission and cross-contamination. There is also a concern regarding how many times a particular bed pan is used. The first reusable bed pan on the rack may be used multiple times a day by multiple people, whereas the one at the back may not be used. Therefore, the number of times an individual bed pan is used cannot be managed. The unused bedpans can also remain in the environment for longer without cleaning, increasing the possibility of droplets and airborne bacteria infecting the product. A key point that comes with the need for human interaction in the human waste disposal process is that it can be a very time-consuming activity, ensuring each product is effectively rinsed, thoroughly washed, and dried before being able to use it on the next patient. Resource, staff, and time are limited in the NHS, and by eliminating much of the need for human control, we can improve efficiency by giving healthcare professionals back the time they need to care for patients. We have identified here at least seven key
touch points from using a reusable human waste disposal system including: 1. collecting the bedpan for use 2. using it with the patient 3. disposing of the contents 4. manually washing visible soiling 5. placing into bedpan washer 6. removing from washer 7. placing on the drying rack.
There are ample opportunities during this process for cross-contamination from patient to patient, professional to professional, or professional to patient. There are also touchpoints along the route from patient to sluice room.
Eliminating human factors through a single-use system A single-use human waste disposal system can eliminate the need for washing of a reusable bed pan manually or via a bedpan washer, removing the human factors involved in the process. Consisting of a touchless macerator and single-use medical pulp receptacle, the single-use human waste disposal system, invented and manufactured by Vernacare, eliminates the handling of potentially contaminated re-usable containers through a hands-free sluice room operation. The use of disposables was advocated by the
World Health Organization during the COVID-19 pandemic. WHO stated that ‘equipment should be single-use and disposable to minimise the risk of transmission of infection’. Living in a post-pandemic era, there is even more of a need for infection prevention practices, and incorporating a system like Vernacare’s can significantly prevent infection in hospitals and healthcare settings. A touchless macerator operates via a sensor
controlled open and close function, operated by placing a foot underneath the sensor. This eliminates the need for opening and closing of the product with potentially unclean gloves or hands. Removing this touch point, when disposing of human waste, reduces the chance of spreading bacteria onto the lid or elsewhere on the macerator and removes the chance of cross-
contamination from one healthcare professional to multiple users. The macerator is also completely touchless in starting and operating the machine. The cycle starts automatically once the lid closes, and up to six medical pulp items can be processed at one time, reducing the need for multiple cycles. The macerator system also effectively
breaks down and disposes of the pulp and human excrement via its SmartFlow technology, eliminating any need for healthcare professionals to put their hands into the machine to remove any products and dispose of elsewhere. The full process is completed within the macerator with no need to touch the product at all, except during external surface cleaning protocols. Pathogens such as SARS-Cov-2 can survive when aerosolised and remain on some surfaces for up to nine days. To combat this, a Vernacare macerator has an inflatable lid seal to prevent the aerolisation of potentially harmful pathogens and contains the disposal and breakdown process inside the macerator. In addition to supporting hospitals in preventing infections, a single-use macerator system can also decrease the time needed for the cleaning and decontamination of toileting aids, as the first cleaning step required with reusables is removed and the full toileting aid, along with the contents, can be disposed of fully and the healthcare professional can then return to their patients knowing the item is being disposed of.
Removing reusable toileting aids Implementing a macerator into a sluice room also eliminates the need for reusable toileting aids such as bed pans, urinals, and washbowls, and the risk of infections mentioned earlier associated with reusing toileting products. A single-use piece of medical pulp requires no
cleaning or disinfection or any manual removal of human excrement from the receiver, and it is immediately disposed of via the macerator following use. Reducing at least four human touch points during the touchless process means there is no need to manually dispose of the contents of the bed pan or rinse down the product; it can be disposed of immediately.
Implementing single-use medical pulp has
Vernacare Vortex Air macerater operates via a touchless foot sensor
already been tried and tested by hospitals, with a study in 2006 identifying that one of the key elements in the successful control of C.difficile in a North West, UK, hospital was their switch to single-use wash bowls. With significantly less touch points and the need for human intervention, single-use medical pulp products can help to both contain the infection and prevent the spread to other patients or staff.
August 2023 I
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