Is a bed centre in a hospital a hygienic hazard?

Abstract

The contamination of linen and air in a bed centre, supply station and ward were compared, as well as the contamination of gowns used by the staff working in the ‘clean’ and the ‘dirty’ rooms of the bed-centre. The contamination of linen and air was low and there was no significant difference between the tested areas. The contamination on gowns used by the staff working in the ‘dirty’ room was significantly higher than that on gowns used by the staff working in the ‘clean’ room. This stresses the importance of dividing a bed centre into ‘clean’ and ‘dirty’ rooms. So organized, a bed centre does not seem to be a hygienic hazard. © 1982, Cambridge University Press. All rights reserved.