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The following is a summary of “Reducing plastic waste in intensive care from longer use of intravenous administration and invasive monitoring sets: A before-and-after study,” published in the December 2024, issue of Critical Care by Schluep et al.
Researchers conducted a retrospective study to assess plastic waste reduction by extending the routine replacement interval of intravenous line sets and invasive monitoring from 4 to 7 days in the Intensive care unit (ICU).
They assessed the effect of extending the routine replacement interval of line sets from 4 to 7 days on plastic waste reduction, with the intervention implemented at the start of 2022. The Secondary outcomes evaluated included catheter-related bloodstream infections (CRBSI), nursing workload, costs, and material durability.
The results showed that 1,221 patients were admitted to the ICU, with 636 in the pre-intervention period and 585 in the post-intervention period. The extension of the line set replacement interval led to a reduction of 881 replacement sets, 182 kg of waste, and 96 nursing hours in 2022. There was no significant difference in the incidence of CRBSI.
Investigators concluded that extending the replacement interval to 7 days for intravenous administration and invasive monitoring sets resulted in waste reduction, maintained patient safety, and reduced costs.
Source: sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0883944124003873#ab0005
