---
title: Mattresses - A Secret Storage Sinkhole
description: Mattresses - A Secret Storage Sinkhole
---

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# [Mattresses - A Secret Storage Sinkhole](https://www.viroxanimalhealth.com/resources/talkcleantome/2014/07/mattresses-secret-storage-sinkhole.html)

 Written by [Nicole Kenny](https://www.viroxanimalhealth.com/resources/author/nicole-kenny) | Jul 3, 2014 7:10:00 PM

<http://static1.squarespace.com/static/595689fc9de4bbc892200518/t/59568acb5fd63b5f292877f9/1498845470567//img.jpg.com/static/595689fc9de4bbc892200518/t/59568acb5fd63b5f292877f9/1498843851347/1000w/>

Aside from kids with green boogers, there is not much  
 that grosses me out.  Growing up on a  
 farm you're introduced to the birds and the bees and all things in between at a  
 very young age and if you're inquisitive like me, you are in the thick of it  
 looking over a vet's shoulder or sweet talking the vet into letting you be the  
 one to stick your hand or arm in all matter of places.  Without a doubt, I can handle blood, guts,  
 vomit, poop and gore.

That was until, I read an article written by Bradbury et  
 al that was published in AJIC titled "*[Potential bloodborne, pathogen exposure from occult mattress damage](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24559597)*".    
The reason for the brief report was a result of an occurrence where a  
 patient after lying on a bed in a clean patient room noticed that the back of  
 the bed pad and mattress were contaminated with a blood-like fluid.  The pressure from the patient's weight on the  
 bed caused the blood-like fluid to seep from the mattress and stain the bed pad  
 and sheets. #GROSS!

It was determined that the previous bed occupant had  
 undergone a surgical procedure where it was possible they bled onto the  
 mattress.  Examination of the mattress  
 uncovered the fact that while the external cover was clean and appeared intact,  
 the waterproof backing below the external cover had severely degraded and that  
 there was a large stained area located in the mid-mattress region where a  
 patient would normally lie.  As a result  
 of this finding the facility then inspected 656 mattresses at the facility and  
 identified 177 mattress (greater than 25%!!) with damage to the interior  
 waterproof backing.  The result was  
 replacement of the 177 offending mattresses, but the situation highlighted the  
 fact that while the mattresses were cleaned and disinfected between patients,  
 the facility did not have a process in place to inspect mattresses beyond the  
 basic visual observation for external appearance.

This certainly highlights the need for a facility to have  
 some sort of inspection process for mattresses that considers more than the  
 external visual appearance. More importantly, it highlights the need to  
 consider what type of materials we are choosing for mattress covers and the  
 ability of these materials to withstand the frequency of cleaning and  
 disinfection and general wear and tear within healthcare facilities.  As highlighted in an earlier blog  
 "[Mattresses...a soft place on which to lounge, nap or sleep](http://talkcleantome.blogspot.ca/2012/07/mattressesa-soft-place-on-which-to.html)"  
 manufacturers who make the mattress material found on hospital beds recommend  
 cleaning the mattress with soap and water, disinfecting the surface, and then  
 rinsing.  For years Lee and I have  
 recommended that hospital mattresses be rinsed post disinfection.  We  
 weren't trying to create a make-work project. We weren't trying to  
 complicate the cleaning and disinfection process for your  
 housekeepers.  We were in fact actually trying to follow and comply  
 with the instructions given by the mattress material manufactures to ensure  
 that the disinfectants being used were used correctly.

I think Bradbury et al highlight the fact that mattresses  
 need to be considered as a potential and very real reservoir for pathogens and  
 given their delicate nature our infection prevention and control programs need  
 to work closely with Environmental Services and Biomedical Engineering Departments  
 to have a program in place that monitors the age of the mattress cover and the  
 condition (both internally and externally) to ensure the next patient laying in  
 the bed does not unwittingly get covered with someone's body fluids. I know I'll be hard pressed to  
 "jump" on to a hospital bed the next time I head to the ER!

*Bugging Off! *

Nicole

 

[View full post](https://www.viroxanimalhealth.com/resources/talkcleantome/2014/07/mattresses-secret-storage-sinkhole.html)

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