Based Replacement Guidelines Strengthen Medical Curtain Infection Control

Medical privacy curtains are frequently touched surfaces in hospitals, clinics, nursing facilities, and diagnostic centers. Although they can easily be overlooked during routine environmental management, contaminated or damaged curtains may pose an infection-control risk.

Zhejiang E-Sun Environmental Technology Co., Ltd. has released recommended routine replacement intervals for medical curtains based on the infection risk of their intended locations. The recommendations divide healthcare environments into three categories: very high risk, non-high risk, and low risk.

In very high-risk areas—including rooms or wards where highly infectious diseases or pathogens have been present—curtains should be replaced immediately after the patient is discharged or leaves the bed or room. The used curtains should then be disposed of in accordance with the facility’s infection-control and waste-management procedures.

This category may include outbreaks involving high-risk infectious diseases, severe skin conditions, gastrointestinal infections associated with carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE), and emerging pathogens such as COVID-19.

For non-high-risk settings, the recommended routine replacement interval is once a year. Relevant locations may include intensive care units, cardiology wards, burn units, nephrology departments, day-surgery areas, non-infectious operating rooms, and general wards. Curtains should be replaced earlier whenever they become visibly soiled, damaged, or torn.

In lower-risk environments, medical curtains may be replaced every two years. These settings include rehabilitation areas, routine examination rooms, long-term care facilities, nursing homes, medical offices, radiography departments, and CT centers. Visible contamination or physical damage should still trigger immediate replacement, regardless of the scheduled interval.

The recommendations highlight a risk-based management approach rather than relying solely on fixed replacement dates. Healthcare facilities should also consider curtain contact frequency, patient profiles, pathogen risks, cleaning records, material condition, and applicable infection-prevention requirements.

Maintaining records of curtain installation dates, inspections, cleaning, replacement, and disposal can further improve traceability and support more consistent environmental hygiene practices.

The proposed intervals are reference recommendations and should not replace local regulations, healthcare facility policies, or instructions issued by infection-prevention specialists. During outbreaks involving emerging or unidentified pathogens, healthcare providers should follow the latest authoritative infection-control guidance and review the relevant antimicrobial performance documentation.