Healthcare Associated Infections (HAIs): Cubicle Curtain Facts
- The CDC estimates that they receive reports of roughly 1.7 million HAIs, which annually cause over 99,000 HAI related deaths
- Cubicle curtains are rated the #6 High Risk Touchpoint and are one of the most frequently touched objects in a patient room, they are considered a key transmission point
- Cubicle curtains are typically infected with VRE [43%], CDIFF [4%] and MRSA [22%] after just two weeks in place
- Most hospitals lack viable protocols for the systematic exchange and cleaning of cubicle curtains – oftentimes curtains get cleaned only once or twice per year
| “There is growing recognition that the hospital environment plays an important role in the transmission of infections in the healthcare setting. It’s clear that these (privacy curtains) are potentially important sites of contamination because they are frequently touched by patients & providers.”
Study conducted by Dr. Michael Ohl, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine. |
Why Hospitals Struggle
✓ Labor intensive, delays rapid room turnover
✓ Non-standardized panels
✓ High inventory cost
✓ Hard to document
✓ Costly to launder, high replacement cost
High Risk Touchpoints in a Patient Room (HRTs)
