“With the current use of swab testing, hospital bed mattresses and bed decks often test negative and are therefore presumed to be clean and free of microorganisms,” said lead researcher Dr. Eddie Hooker of Xavier University. “We suspect – along with physicians, infection control officers and other healthcare professionals worldwide – that hospital beds may harbor bacteria and other microorganisms even after terminal disinfection. This study should help better our understanding and allow us to develop more effective cleaning practices as it relates to hospital beds.”

Led by Dr. Hooker, in cooperation with Dr. Stephen Allen of Indiana University and Trinity Guardion, researchers evaluated mattresses and bed decks for contamination using different testing methodologies. Among multiple goals of the study, researchers hope to better understand the microbes that are contaminating hospital beds and mattresses and whether current cleaning practices are adequate.

Eddie Hooker, MD, DPH is a health service and public health researcher and Stephen Allen, MD is a recognized expert in microbiology and we are proud to collaborate with them,” added Bruce Rippe, COO of Trinity Guardion. “Healthcare facilities today put intense focus on surgical environments, invasive equipment and other areas of patient contact in attempts to eliminate bacterial contamination. We believe the results of this study will alert facilities to another area that may harbor microorganisms – hospital beds.

About Trinity Guardion

TRINITY GUARDION is the world’s only manufacturer of launderable bed covers specifically engineered to eliminate bacteria from the mattress and bed deck. Our Trinity Bed Protection System™ delivers a level of cleanliness of hospital beds and mattresses previously unseen in the healthcare industry. See the groundbreaking research and innovative design that has lead Trinity Guardion to deliver Clean – Re-engineered for Healthcare at the upcoming national APIC Conference in Baltimore.

The Trinity Guardion Bed Protection System has not been shown to correlate with a reduction in infections in patients or caregivers. Clinical studies to evaluate reduction in infection have not been performed.

The product is the result of an international collaboration between industry leaders in biotechnology, infection control, academia and wound care. The covers are designed to be mechanically laundered using heat and chlorine bleach to provide mattress surfaces that are cleaner than using conventional best practices. Field research and industry due diligence conducted by Trinity Guardion shows that: 1) current mattress covers have microscopic crevices that can harbor bacteria, 2) current cleaning practices can actually spread bacteria further around the mattress and bed deck, and, 3) current methods for testing mattress and bed deck cleanliness are inadequate.

The Trinity Guardion Bed Protection System is constructed with a fabric containing an encapsulated antimicrobial silver additive manufactured by Dartex Coatings and developed with Smith & Nephew Extruded Films. Stains from blood and betadine on the bed cover system are no longer an issue when using the CDC wash protocol, as the high heat and bleach components kill bacteria and vegetative spores. Unlike prior applications of antimicrobial silver in launderable products, the Trinity Bed Protection System is launderable in healthcare laundries, and is reusable. Additionally, the silver has been proven not to leach into the waste stream during extended laundry tests.

Trinity Guardion COO, and co-founder Bruce Rippe explains, “By laundering the cover after each patient discharge there is a significant reduction in bacteria on the mattress and bed deck surfaces, a new level of clean for hospital beds. When laundered according to directions, a cover delivers a patient bed surface that is at a level of clean more difficult to achieve with current cleaning protocols. This system should eliminate virtually all bacteria and viruses from the mattress cover. Hospitals now have another tool in the battle to provide consistently clean beds.”

The Trinity Bed Protection System is engineered to fit specific brands and models of hospital beds, protecting the mattress and deck while still allowing for the bed to fully articulate without hindering the underlying mattress. Trinity Guardion will be providing live demonstrations of the system at the upcoming APIC Annual Conference in Baltimore, MD, June 27-29, booth #842.

The Trinity Bed Protection System has not been shown to correlate with a reduction in infections in patients or caregivers. Clinical studies to evaluate reduction in infection have not been performed.

About Trinity Guardion
Trinity Guardion is the world’s only manufacturer of launderable bed cover systems for the mattress and bed deck, which is specifically engineered to eliminate bacteria from the laundered bed cover. The Trinity Bed System Protection System™ delivers a level of cleanliness previously unseen for hospital beds in the healthcare industry. Based on a collaboration of international industry leaders, Trinity Guardion has re-defined best-practice bed cleaning to deliver Clean: Re-engineered for Healthcare.