Fluid Waste Management Systems
Your options in hard-plumbed and portable direct-to-drain systems.
H
ow do you manage the potentially copious volumes of blood
and body fluid that can be generated during surgery? Older
fluid waste disposal systems used suction canisters to col-
lect liquid waste. Staff would then discard the waste either by open-
ing the canisters and pouring the contents down the drain, or by
using chemicals to solidify the liquid, and then having it hauled off-
site for treatment and disposal as regulated medical waste. There's
also a third and decidedly more high-tech and cleaner way to dis-
pose of fluid waste: direct-to-drain systems that forgo both pouring
and solidifying. As we'll discuss, they can provide significant bene-
fits in costs, safety and environmental impact.
A lot to consider
Naturally, there are advantages and disadvantages to all systems, so
having a grasp of a significant number of variables can help determine
which system makes the most sense for your facility.
For example, how much floor space is available in the OR? Does
space always seem to be at a premium? How complicated would it be
to plumb into the fluid management system? Are you doing a lot of
orthopedic surgeries? If so, which systems have the capacity to han-
dle the large quantities of fluid involved in total knees, total hips and
other orthopedic procedures?
Do you want a system that's stationary and hard-plumbed into the
sanitary sewer, or do you want one that's portable? Some systems
have reusable canisters that can be disinfected; others have closed
integrated canister systems. Some use disposable canisters that you
can place in regular trash after they're rinsed with enzymatic cleaners.
(Those may be less expensive than other systems, but they can't accu-
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Thinking of Buying …
Julia Moyle, MSN, RN, and Kaeleigh Sheehan
