Intervention reduces waste from single-use surgical packs

Editor's Note

This study by researchers at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, California, finds that simple adjustments to single-use surgical packs can have a significant impact on waste reduction and cost-savings in general surgery cases.

Researchers tracked unused items in two standard packs opened for 35 general surgery cases. A new pack was then created that excluded the most frequently unused items, and that pack was used in nine general surgery cases.

The original packs cost $89.51 or $93.68 per case, each weighing 23.2 lbs. The new pack cost $46.88 per case, weighing 20.8 lbs.

The projected cost-savings was $45,719 annually, with a 2,437-lb annual waste reduction.

Eliminating unused surgical items from standard single-use surgical packs is simple and feasible and results in cost-savings and reduced waste, the researchers say.