UCSF Finds Operating Rooms Waste $1,000 Worth Of Medical Supplies Per Procedure
The researchers found the most costly waste comes from higher-cost supplies that are used less often like screws and sealants.
Modern Healthcare:
Hospital Operating Rooms Waste Nearly $3 Million A Year In Disposable Medical Supplies
Operating rooms produce on average more than 2,000 tons of waste per day, and a significant portion of that waste is from disposable medical supplies. And those estimates come from a small sample since there is a limited research that measures OR waste and how it is accumulated, said James Yoon, an author of a recent study from the University of California, San Francisco that analyzed waste in the OR of the hospital's neurology department. (Castellucci, 9/7)
California Healthline:
Tossing Unused Surgical Supplies Wastes Millions Of Dollars, Study Finds
Among the most unused and discarded supplies were sponges, blue towels and gloves. The most expensive item wasted, according to the study, was “surgifoam,” a sponge used to stop bleeding. One such sponge can cost close to $4,000. The researchers projected that wasted supplies could cost $2.9 million a year in UCSF’s neurosurgery department alone. (Ibarra, 9/6)