Comparative Analysis of Bedpan Processing Equipement

This comparative analysis examined the effectiveness and safety of bedpan washers for reusable bedpans with that of macerators for disposable bedpans, as well as organizational, economic and environmental issues.

In the light of its analysis, AETMIS concludes that there is no uniform bedpan processing method across health-care facilities in Québec and that it is up to the infection prevention and control team at each facility to make an informed decision about the method to adopt, in conjunction with management and the rest of the medical and professional staff. For the purpose of guiding that choice, AETMIS recommends to apply the following basic principles:

Infection prevention

• Manual bedpan cleaning must be proscribed because it poses a very high risk of infection : staff must not empty bedpans into sinks or toilets and must no longer use spray wands.

• Use of automated bedpan washers or macerators for processing bedpans is recommended if it follows stringent infection prevention procedures.

• Reusable bedpans must be disinfected after each use.

• Leaving soiled bedpans to pile up on counters must be avoided by making sure that each care unit has enough reprocessing equipment.

• After patient discharge, disposable bedpan supports must be transferred to a centralized sterilization area for disinfection in a washer-disinfector.

Infection control

• Sterilization of reusable bedpans between patients must be considered if the aim is to have bedpans free of bacterial spores in order to better control sources of C. difficile infection.

• If the use of bedpan washers is adopted, a backup option must be planned for isolated cases or outbreaks of diarrhea associated with C. difficile (disposable bedpans, hygienic bags) especially when reusable bedpans are not sterilized after use.

• The use of hygienic bags for all patients should be considered in the critical conditions of a C. difficile outbreak.

Layout of working place

• Bedpan washers and macerators must be installed in dirty utility rooms located a reasonable distance away from patients’ rooms (to reduce the risk of workplace contamination), and soiled bedpans must always be covered during transport to reprocessing equipment.

• Dirty utility rooms must be large enough to house the reprocessing equipment and to allow supplies to be properly stored. The area provided for dirty supplies must be physically separate from that for clean supplies.

• Installation of modular bedpan-washer units or macerators in the washrooms of isolation rooms should be considered in order to minimize workplace contamination during bedpan transport to dirty utility rooms, and to monitor highly contaminated bedpans.

Preventive measures follow-up

• Staff must be properly trained and must consistently comply with procedures for human waste management, bedpan reprocessing and equipment operation.

• Preventive maintenance and verification of the equipment’s operational parameters must be monitored on a regular and ongoing basis.