A bedpan is a shallow, portable container placed under a person’s hips so they can urinate or have a bowel movement without leaving bed. It’s one of the most basic pieces of medical equipment, used in hospitals, nursing homes, and home care settings whenever someone can’t safely get up to use a toilet.
Who Needs a Bedpan
Bedpans are designed for people who are bed-confined, meaning their medical condition prevents them from getting up at all. This includes patients recovering from surgery (especially hip, spine, or abdominal procedures), people with severe injuries like pelvic or leg fractures, and those too weak or medically unstable to stand. Patients on strict bed rest during pregnancy or after a cardiac event may also rely on one.
If someone can sit up and transfer to the edge of the bed but can’t walk to a bathroom, a bedside commode (essentially a portable toilet chair) is typically the better option. Medicare specifically covers bedpans for bed-confined patients and commodes for those who are room-confined or live in a home without accessible toilet facilities. The key distinction is whether the person can get out of bed at all.
Types of Bedpans
There are two basic shapes. A standard bedpan is deeper, shaped like an oval bowl with a raised back end, and holds more volume. A fracture pan (sometimes called a slipper pan) is much flatter and slips under the hips with less lifting, which makes it the go-to choice for patients with hip fractures, spinal injuries, or anyone who can’t raise their hips very far. Fracture pans are positioned with the handle pointing toward the patient’s feet.
Plastic vs. Stainless Steel
Most bedpans come in either plastic or stainless steel, and each has trade-offs. Plastic is lighter, warmer to the touch, quieter during placement, and generally more comfortable for the patient. It’s also cheaper, making it a practical choice for short-term or single-patient home use. The downside is that plastic requires gentler cleaning with mild disinfectants and can crack or warp over time.
Stainless steel is heavier and feels cold against the skin, but it’s far more durable. It resists bending, cracking, and the wear of repeated use. Steel bedpans can withstand autoclaving (high-pressure steam sterilization) and harsher cleaning agents, which is why hospitals often prefer them. For long-term or institutional use, stainless steel lasts significantly longer and is easier to keep fully sanitized.
How a Bedpan Is Positioned
Placing a bedpan correctly matters for both comfort and hygiene. The caregiver puts on gloves and places a waterproof pad or towel under the patient’s buttocks first. If the patient can help, they bend their knees and push their hips up while the bedpan slides underneath. If they can’t lift up, the caregiver rolls them to one side, positions the pan against the buttocks, and then rolls them back onto it. The deeper portion of the pan should face toward the patient’s feet, and the patient should be centered so nothing spills.
Once the bedpan is in place, the head of the bed is raised to a comfortable angle. This sitting-up position makes elimination easier and more natural. After use, the caregiver helps the patient lift off or roll to the side again, removes the pan carefully, and assists with cleaning the skin. The contents are emptied into a toilet, and the bedpan is cleaned and disinfected before its next use.
Keeping Bedpans Clean
Infection control around bedpans is a real concern, especially in hospitals where bacteria can spread between patients. The CDC recommends that heavily soiled items like bedpans be cleaned and disinfected outside the patient care area in a dedicated utility room. The preferred method is a washer-disinfector or boiling water rather than chemical disinfection alone, since heat-based methods are more reliably effective against harmful organisms.
In hospitals, some facilities use disposable pulp bedpans that get placed into a macerator, a machine that grinds and flushes them away in one step, eliminating the need for manual cleaning entirely. At home, washing a bedpan with hot soapy water and then applying a disinfectant after each use is standard practice. Plastic pans need milder cleaning products to avoid surface damage, while steel pans can handle stronger agents.
Comfort and Dignity Tips
Using a bedpan is uncomfortable and, for many patients, embarrassing. A few practical things make it more tolerable. Warming a cold metal pan with warm water before placement helps. Applying a light dusting of talcum powder or cornstarch to the rim can reduce friction against the skin. Privacy matters too: closing the door, pulling a curtain, and giving the person time alone if it’s safe to do so can ease the psychological discomfort that often bothers patients more than the physical kind.
For patients who will be bed-confined for more than a few days, prolonged contact with a bedpan’s hard edges can irritate skin and contribute to pressure sores. Repositioning frequently, keeping skin clean and dry after each use, and using a fracture pan (which has a lower profile and less contact area) all help reduce that risk.