PRODUCTS & SERVICES PRODUCTS & SERVICES Caring for the hospital’s


mattress maintenance matter by Rick Dana Barlow


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sk the famous physiological trivia question, “What is the largest body organ?” and people likely may respond with the intestines or the lungs, completely missing the obvious answer: Skin. Same can be said for asking people what they think is perhaps the most import- ant product (device, equipment, etc.) within a healthcare facility. Responses may veer toward surgical robotics, computed tomog- raphy (CT) scanners or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) units, completely missing the obvious answer: Beds.


After all, where do inpatients – whether in critical care, surgery or patient rooms – spend the most time?


Iwain Lam, president and CEO, Surface


Medical Inc., calls hospital beds and mat- tresses “the workhorse of every healthcare organization,” because “they are in constant use. They are also one of the highest touch points in the patient environment.” Steady, extensive use, of course, can lead to exces- sive wear-and-tear and


Iwain Lam


breed infectious microorganisms – viral and bacterial – if the beds and their mattresses are not routinely and completely cleaned, decontaminated and disinfected or steril- ized. Over time, beds and their mattresses will need to be replaced via recycling or even disposal if they’re too far gone to be repurposed in some way.


Because patients spend so much time in beds and on mattresses it stands to reason that healthcare organizations should have comprehensive maintenance, repair and


replacement procedures for one of their most integral products. Unfortunately, carrying out effective bed and mattress maintenance protocols is not necessarily the case for everyone. The obvi- ous question is why? There’s a lot resting on that product.


Not so fast Simple timing represents one of the princi- pal impediments to thorough and proper maintenance, according to bed and mattress company executives.


“As with many things in delivering care,


time impacts surface inspections,” said Andrew Aitken, director, Product Management and Marketing, Linet Americas. “Housekeeping staff have a set amount of time to terminally clean the room. Typically, there is not enough time to inspect the mattress.”


Andrew Aitken


High census rates mean few to no vacan- cies in patient rooms, according to a Stryker spokesperson who released an offi cial state- ment to Healthcare Purchasing News. “When a room does become available, hospital staff must clean, disinfect and change-out that entire room as quickly as possible in preparation for the next patient,” the Stryker spokesperson stated. “Beds and mattresses are often focal points for cleaning and disinfection, and there can be challenges because of their size and weight. Cleaning products can require up to three minutes, in most cases, to properly disinfect and san- itize a surface, including Stryker’s beds and


46 June 2023 • HEALTHCARE PURCHASING NEWS • hpnonline.com


mattresses. Ensuring that wet mattresses are not put back onto a bed frame, which can lead to rusting and/or premature break- down of components, is critical to realizing full useful life.”


Census contributes to infrequent access


to beds and mattresses as well, according to Stryker’s spokesperson. “When a problem arises on a bed or mattress, or an annual preventive main- tenance inspection is due, the bed must be temporarily taken out of service,” the spokesperson stated. “If the hospital facil- ity does not have extra beds available to swap out, an entire room can potentially be unavailable until all required work is complete.”


David Willoughby, vice president,


Marketing & Business Development, Medtrica Solutions Ltd., highlights an underlying list of challenges that com- plicate effective bed and mattress maintenance. “Some of the most prev-


alent are rushing protocols due to time constraints, lack of correct training


David Willoughby


and education, lack of communication, staff turnover and at times use of inferior products or not following [manufacturer instructions for use] due to their complex- ity,” Willoughby told HPN. “Out of these contributors, I would say that time con- straint and inconsistent protocol implemen- tation resulting from lack of correct training and education are key contributors.” Linet Americas’ Aitken also acknowledges education as a factor.


workhorses that cradle patients Healthcare organizations strive to make bed,


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