Study Links C. Diff Spread to Hospital Beds

Previous studies have shown contaminated hospital beds pose a risk to patients. The latest study on the topic found that patients in a bed previously used by someone with C. difficile (C. diff) are at risk of contracting the disease as well, Infection Control Today reports.

A study presented last month at the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) Spring Conference found that hospital infection control personnel and environmental services (EVS) staff should consider the impact of contaminated beds when developing C. diff infection (CDI) risk mitigation strategies.

C. diff is spread through a spore-forming bacteria that can live on surfaces for a long time. Medical experts previously believed that older patients with poor health were at higher risk of contracting C. diff than younger patients. However, researchers in the new study determined that patients who occupied the same bed within 90 days of someone with CDI had a higher risk of catching the infection, even if they were not elderly and had received antibiotics against infections.

The investigators concluded that infection control and EVS teams should ensure they are maintaining hospital beds and mattress to the manufacturer standards, as well as cleaning and disinfecting them properly. Hospital leaders need to determine what their facility can do to make hospital equipment more resistant to C. diff spores. For instance, they may need to make changes to mattress and bed rail cleaning protocols.

The study authors are hopeful this study and others will serve as a catalyst for manufacturers of disinfecting solutions and touch-free disinfecting devices to partner with the infection control community with the shared goal of stopping the spread of infectious diseases.