Hospitals are a host to a myriad of viruses and bacterias. Patients suffering from various diseases visit the hospital every day in hopes of making a full recovery. The curtains dividing each cubicle at the emergency room and wards are not there for aesthetics only—they should function to separate and protect each patient and to prevent cross-contamination.
Fabrics used in the hospital curtain dividers are special and different from those used at homes and non-medical facilities. Therefore, hospitals should use a fabric that is suitable to their harsh environment.
Here are some points on how to choose a hospital medical curtain divider:
Curtains should be fire retardant
Fire retardant curtains are a must in a hospital setting to prevent the spread of fire in case of an accident. It is also recommended that it should be installed with a mesh above the curtain so the water from the sprinklers can extinguish the fire on its onset, preventing it from spreading.
Curtains should be stain-resistant and easy to clean. It is not uncommon for body fluids like blood, saliva, and vomit to be expelled by a patient, and it may stick to the curtain dividers. If possible, the fabric used should also be machine washable for easy sanitation. These features are essential to eliminate the hazards of contamination.
Curtain fabric should be suitable for use
Medical curtains serve as a divider between the patients in the hospital. It should be able to provide privacy as patients receive treatment. These dividers should be able to withstand the harsh hospital environment. They are heavily used every day, which is why the fabric should be strong and durable.
The hospital is filled with different pathogenic bacteria, superbugs, and antibiotic-resistant bacteria and viruses due to the varied diseases that different patients bring in. To avoid and prevent the spread of these pathogens, use medical curtain dividers that are anti-microbial.
Killing pathogenic bacteria immediately upon contact will help eliminate the spread of these disease-causing microbes, hence the importance of choosing an anti-microbial fabric to reduce the spread of disease and add an extra layer of protection for both the patients and medical staff.
Curtains should provide privacy
The fabric of the curtain divider should be able to provide privacy between cubicles. Some patients are in fragile and sensitive conditions, so the curtains should not be sheer or see-through. Sheer fabrics can cause anxiety to other patients, especially when they see a patient in critical condition.
Hospitals should always consider their patients' and medical staff's health and well-being. The medical curtain divider may be a trivial matter for some, but it has a valuable contribution to the safety and control of pathogenic bacteria from spreading in the hospital. Therefore, when purchasing a medical curtain for your health facility, make sure that it is fire retardant, stain-resistant, anti-microbial, and always consider the quality and strength of the fabric. Check out Direct Fabrics for a selection of quality curtains today!