Surgical curtains are no longer a privacy-adding feature in operating rooms. Rather, these equipment are evolving to protect against the most common healthcare issue: bacterial growth.
If you are looking for surgical curtains, you should get familiar with the new advancements with CHS Healthcare. Because it is highly likely to presume an ordinary surgical curtain to provide the same benefits as that of a new design.
And to prevent this confusion, understanding the new designs, their benefits, types, compliance requirements, cost considerations, and maintenance tips is the key. In this blog, you will realise the growing importance of new-age surgical curtains, which promise hygiene, safety, and privacy in medical environments. So, keep reading it till the end.
What Are Surgical Curtains?
Surgical curtains, as the name suggests, are medical-grade privacy screens. Be it hospitals, nursing homes, clinics, personal homes, or specialist disability accommodations, these equipment are easy to use in any setting.
Maintaining privacy during extensive surgeries, dressing, or at the time of resting period for patients is essential. And is the most obvious reason to invest in surgical curtains.
But the new-age curtains feature polypropylene or polyester fabrics. As these do not absorb moisture, your patients remain in allergy-free environments with no mold presence. Interestingly, some of the curtains are pre-coated with silver-ion solution too. This technology helps in killing bacteria as soon as it comes into contact with the curtain’s surface.
Benefits of Surgical Curtains
Surgical curtains serve multiple benefits to reduce the effects of virus-spreading bacteria, mould, or bodily fluids. Here are some of the common reasons behind investing in one.
- Prevents the Spread of Infections:
A high-grade surgical curtain battles against the bacteria during surgery or post the treatment. It contains antimicrobial fibres which reduce the hospital-acquired infections.
- Enhances Privacy for Patients:
Besides maintaining the patient’s dignity during surgical treatments, these surgical curtains help in creating a partition in a shared room. Particularly when the chances of other patients disturbing or intruding someone’s personal space is a matter of concern.
- Contains Fire-Resistance Properties:
Sensitive environments in surgery rooms often equip oxygen tanks, flammable materials, or fire-igniting chemicals. Using fire-resistant curtains helps in spreading the flames during any incident. However, many hospitals also require these curtains to adhere to the fire-safety guidelines such as NFPA 701.
- Offers Convenient Installation:
You must rely on surgical screens without having to worry about the difficult installation. Like regular curtains, it features loops for hanging it in the right way. Moreover, some models also come with telescopic rods that mount against the wall. You can adjust their horizontal length depending on its capacity range.
- Puts a Stop on Cross-Contamination:
Many times, surgical curtains are machine-washable, even at high temperatures. However, the new fabrics are self-sterilised to maintain their cleanliness without frequent washing. You can also consider disposable curtains to prevent cross-contamination at all.
Surgical Curtains: Types and Uses
Each of the types of surgical privacy screens caters to the demands of healthcare settings. Let’s understand the uses of disposable, reusable, fire-resistant, antimicrobial, or privacy curtains.
- Disposable Surgical Curtains:
If you are looking for a curtain in highly contaminated areas like operating rooms, emergency wards, or ICUs, then disposable curtains are a good investment option.
- Reusable Surgical Curtains:
If you are looking for a long-term and cost-saving solution, then most of the privacy screens are reusable as well. Specially designed as an alternative to disposable curtains, these feature antimicrobial fibres to withstand long-term impact.
- Fire-Resistant Curtains:
If you are in a region or hospital that strictly adheres to fire-safety rules, then fire-preventing curtains are helpful. In most of the medical departments, flammable materials can spread the flame which demands the use of these equipment.
- Privacy Curtains:
In patient wards and clinics, privacy curtains block the view from outside. Adding comfort to your patient’s surroundings, privacy curtains are another great option.
What to Look for When Buying Surgical Curtains
When purchasing surgical curtains, you must consider several factors.
- Choose a Curtain Preventing Bacteria & Fire Spread:
You must look at the material of the curtain. Many new types of surgical curtains today feature polypropylene or polyester fabric. Manufacturers also pre-coat these fibres with silver-ion technology which prevents the bacteria from multiplying.
Moreover, bodily fluids, blood, or disinfectants often spill over curtains during operations. You must see if the curtain has splash-resistant properties. Screens with fire-resistance is another factor to consider.
- Long-Lasting Use:
You must figure out if the curtain has strength to remain flexible, seamless, and reusable. This is more important for reusable curtains requiring frequent washing.
- Installation Type:
Some types of surgical curtains mount against the wall while others are joint along the ceiling tracks. You should see if the installation is easy and matches with the existing curtains tracks.
- Additional Features:
Transparency, swivel handling, or RFID tagging are some of the advanced features to see in surgical privacy curtains. Swivel rotation helps in turning curtains when not using them. And RFID tagging helps in tracking the period of curtain use and replacement cycles.
- Compliance Requirements:
Fire safety standards, such as NFPA 701, ensure that curtains meet flame-retardant requirements. Internationally, regulations such as ISO 13485 dictate the production and safety standards for medical textiles. Hospitals must regularly inspect curtains to ensure they remain compliant. Failure to meet these requirements can lead to penalties, increased infection risks, and compromised patient safety.
- Cost Considerations:
Consider the costs of using the curtains. Disposable curtains have lower value but higher replacement costs. On the other hand, reusable screens are expensive but cost-effective over time.
Also, fire-resistant and antimicrobial-treated curtains offer premium value at its cost. You must consider extra costs for cleaning, maintenance, and replacement cycles. The best choice is to look for suppliers accepting bulk orders to reduce expenses while ensuring consistent supply.
Final Words
We hope you found this blog useful. As you see, surgical curtains are resourceful equipment for aiding your patient’s health, comfort, and privacy. Remember, the key is to find the right type of privacy screens, understand their costs, compliance requirements in your settings, and maintenance needs. Choose CHS Healthcare for their 25 years of experience in supplying high-quality surgical curtains.