Abstract
The aim of the present study was to compare the suitability of cotton towels and synthetic towels as materials for bed baths with regard to infection prevention. Four types of towel materials were selected. They were commercially available unused cotton towels (unused cotton towels), cotton towels that had been washed and sterilized after being used for bed baths (reused cotton towels), commercially available unused synthetic towels (wet nonwoven fabric), and synthetic towels comprising wet nonwoven fabric from which moisture and components had been removed (dry nonwoven fabric). The counts of surviving common bacteria, colon bacillus, and Staphylococcus aureus for each of the four materials were determined using the Petrifilm method. The wet and dry nonwoven fabrics were negative for common bacteria, but approximately 260 cfu/100 cm2 bacteria were detected in the unused cotton towels (no hygiene issues). Reused cotton towels contained approximately 10 times of the amount of bacteria (approximately 2,360 cfu/100 cm2) than in unused cotton towels. In addition, no colon bacillus or S. aureus was detected in towels of any of the four materials. These results suggest that the amount of common bacteria on the reused cotton towels that are frequently used at clinical sites in Japan should be considered for infection prevention. The fact that common bacteria were detected on cotton towels regardless of whether they were unused or reused clarified that reused cotton is not a safe material for bed bath towels with regard to infection prevention.
