According to CDC reports, in the United States 205 people die each day with at least one hospital-acquired infection. The total comes to about 75,000 people each year.
“Presently more people die with a hospital-acquired infection than the total of breast cancer, AIDS and car accidents combined.” —Dr. Betsey McCaughey, founder of the Committee to Reduce Infectious Deaths
Hospitals have developed many new measures to promote cleaner and safer patient environments. One of the last standout causes for concern remains soft surface sanitization. Fabrics provide unique challenges and a perfect microbial environment containing a porous surface that retains moisture and enables protection from light sources. Unlike everything else in the patient environment, privacy curtains typically have no fixed cleaning schedule or measures that inhibit contamination from hand transfers between patients, visitors, and staff.