Even today, body fluids in institutions are often managed through 2 methods,
depending on the country:

Manual cleaning in the patient’s room

Bedpan washer

These two methods are not optimal, for several reasons:

• Since the water spray from the shower on to the bedpan is a very significant source of the aerosolization of contaminants, this method is not recommended. Nevertheless, the draining of body fluids into the patient’s toilet is still practised, despite the splashes and microdroplets, in order to avoid carrying the full bedpan to the dirty utility room
• The transport of a full bedpan to the dirty utility room represents a real threat to the environment for both patients and caregivers, in the event of a fall or contamination by aerosolization. Unfortunately, these methods may contaminate the environment of patients, including the most frail.

Also, even if the bedpan washer is very sophisticated and must meet strict standards, it is important to take into consideration that an ageing bedpan can become a source of bacterial proliferation.