3 Dirtiest Spots in Hospital Emergency Rooms

People expect that hospital emergency rooms are clean and sterile all the time. But with patients carrying all sorts of germs and bacteria moving in and out of ERs all day, can you really trust that these places are spotless? You should not. As a matter of fact, here are the dirtiest spots in hospital emergency rooms:

1. Beds

Can you imagine how many patients have lain down on ER beds in a day? Though the hospital staff changes the sheets regularly, you can’t expect them to change it every time a patient comes in, especially in busy hours. Apart from the bed sheets, the mattresses are also prone to collecting bacteria and germs. When the sheets are not properly in place, blood, sweat, and other bodily fluids can easily seep into the mattress.

2. Waiting Areas

Before hospital admission, patients from ERs must wait from the bed or sometimes, in the waiting area. Even if you’re not sick because of a bacterial infection, you may contract one from other ill patients waiting in the area. So, it is crucial that the hospital staff regularly sanitizes these areas, as well as pens, doorknobs, handrails, and anything else that patients may touch, according to AlliedFacilityCare.com.

3. Phones

Doctors, nurses, and even patients use the ER phones every day. It is not surprising if phones will come in contact with germs, bacteria, dead skin cells, and dirt at some point in the day. But, what’s even worse is that people tend to forget to disinfect the phones after each use. Wiping the phone down with a sanitized tissue paper is a little gesture yet a big help in limiting the spread of infection in the ER. Though these spots are the dirtiest, they aren’t a lost cause. Hospitals may hire third-party facility care providers to ensure cleanliness and sanitation in their area at all times. After all, doctors, nurses, and other staff are already busy saving lives.