1 3 4
O U T P A T I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E O N L I N E | N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 5
A Fluid Waste Management System
Consider the benefits of closed collection and disposal.
O
ur schedule is full of arthroscopies.
Since we're dealing with lots and
lots of fluid waste every day,
an automated disposal system is an
absolute necessity. But you don't
have to be running an ortho special-
ty center like ours to benefit from
keeping your canisters closed. Here
are a few ways that fluid waste man-
agement systems can help your employ-
ees and your efficiency.
• Safety. For us, the No. 1 reason to imple-
ment automated fluid waste disposal systems in our ORs is safety.
They practically eliminate all staff exposure to the potentially infec-
tious contents of suction canisters. Compare that to the old days of
dumping out huge, multi-liter jugs: how many times did your co-work-
ers get splashed? What was the cost, in testing, staffing and anxiety,
that followed these exposure incidents? Closed-canister systems can
also help your staff sidestep the bad ergonomics of carrying heavy can-
isters down the hall to the decontamination room sink, and the poten-
tial slips, trips and falls that canister leaks in transit could cause.
• Cost. A fluid waste management unit will initially involve capital and
possibly installation expenses, and perhaps the continuing expense of
filters or other disposable supplies. But if you assess these costs in com-
parison to those of buying a steady supply of canisters only to dispose of
them, either empty or full of solidified waste, you'll soon realize which
one is the greater burden on your budget over the long term. There's an
argument to be made, too, that closed suction disposal deliver faster
T H I N K I N G O F B U Y I N G …
Pam Skipper, RN
Check
Out Our
7 Product
Snapshots