New from FDA: Protect Patients from Contaminated Mattresses

Mattress Covers: Keep Them Safe for Use

FDA recently issued new recommendations to help facilities ensure hospital bed mattress covers are safe for use in health care and home care settings.

• Mattress covers provide outer protection to a mattress by preventing blood and other body fluids from entering the inside (inner core) of the mattress.
• Over time, hospital bed mattress covers can wear out and allow blood and body fluids to penetrate and get trapped inside mattresses.
• If blood or body fluids from one patient penetrate and get absorbed in a mattress, the fluids can leak out the next time the mattress is used.
• Coming into contact with these fluids poses a risk of infection to patients using the bed.

Learn More:

• FDA Website: Covers for Hospital Bed Mattresses: Learn How to Keep Them Safe
• FDA Safety Poster: Hospital Bed Mattresses Covers Safety Poster  [PDF - 544 KB]
   

Covers for Hospital Bed Mattresses: Learn How to Keep Them Safe https://go.usa.gov/xn5cm