When a hospital patient checks out of a room, cleaning staff swoop in, disinfecting every item and surface to prevent the spread of infection.
The TV remote, bed frame, call button cord, trash can lid, closet handles, door knobs — nothing can be missed. Bed linens and privacy curtains are removed and double-bagged for laundering. Blinds and curtain rails are wiped down.
Still, dangerous infections spread.
If the previous occupant was infected with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), for example, the incoming patient has a 40% elevated risk of contracting the same infection — even when a hospital’s cleaning protocol exceeds infection-control standards.
Credit: iStock, Paolo_Toffanin
The post When hospital surface cleaning fails, superbugs win appeared first on Healthier Environment Living Program.