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Abstract
At the Baptist Medical Centers (BMC) in Alabama, the materiel management officer tried to standardize inventories when possible across facilities. One issue that emerged was the use of reusable versus disposable pillows. Operations research was performed, comparing data from a hospital using reusable pillows for all patients with data from a hospital using disposable pillows for all patients. Infection control data were collected on 31,514 patients discharged in 1987. A one-way analysis of variance was conducted to determine if there were any differences in the rate of nosocomial respiratory infections based on the type of pillow used. The cost of pillows for the 1986-1987 fiscal year was $47,600 at the hospital using disposable pillows and $6,000 at the hospital using reusable pillows. The data were basically neutral with respect to infection control concerns. Both quality and quantity data favored the use of reusable pillows.