Fundamentals of Nursing Q 562
What should be done in order to prevent contaminating the environment in bed making?
A. Avoid fanning soiled linens
B. Strip all linens at the same time
C. Finished both sides at the time
D. Embrace soiled linen
Correct Answer: A. Avoid fanning soiled linens
Fanning soiled linens would scatter the lodged microorganisms and dead skin cells on the linens. Healthcare linens are known to harbor a number of microorganisms. Most notably, there is an increased concern that methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE) can survive for days on linens. There is further concern that these contaminated linens then become a potential source of cross-contamination.
Option B: There is now a common understanding that linens, once in use, are usually contaminated and could be harboring microorganisms such as MRSA and VRE. Further, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) cautions that healthcare professionals should handle contaminated textiles and fabrics with minimum agitation to avoid contamination of air, surfaces, and persons. Even one of the leading nursing textbooks, Fundamentals of Nursing, Soiled linen is never shaken in the air because shaking can disseminate secretions and excretions and the microorganisms they contain. This text also states linens that have been soiled with excretions and secretions harbor microorganisms that can be transmitted to others.
Option C: Healthcare laundry protocols have long relied on chlorine-based sanitizers to kill bacteria in bed linens and other fabrics. While chlorine is known as one of the best antimicrobial agents in the world, its power has been limited because it evaporates from untreated fabric soon after laundering. But with this new patented technology in HaloShield ® linens, the chlorine keeps killing bacteria right up until the next laundering.
Option D: The environment in which linens are used in healthcare is often ideal for the proliferation and spread of bacteria and viruses. Often the patient, in a weakened or compromised state, is lying on a sheet. That sheet under the patient’s body is warm, dark, and sometimes damp. Most would agree that those conditions are considered ideal for bacteria and viruses to thrive.