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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 | M A Y 2 0 1 5
The benefits of collecting and dis-
posing of runoff waste with a
closed-suction system are many-
fold over manually dumping suc-
tion canisters or solidifying their
contents for the biohazard bin.
• It's safer for your staff. Not
only does direct-to-drain minimize
or eliminate OR employees' expo-
sure to potentially infectious
materials, its use can also prevent
the slip-and-fall risk of splashed or
spattered floors.
• It's a more efficient process. Changing out and dumping full canisters — not to
mention suiting up in personal protective equipment to handle the task — takes time
and distracts attention away from the surgery at hand.
• It's better for your budget. If you're scheduling a high volume of high-fluid
cases, the expense of an automated system is likely more economical than launder-
ing the linens absorbing fluid on the floor, weighing down your red-bag waste with
full canisters, or paying nurse salaries for canister maintenance.
• It's environmentally sound. Fluid waste is medical waste, no two ways about
it, but some disposal systems don't add single-use canisters to the accumulated
refuse.
Still, an automated fluid waste disposal system is a considerable purchasing deci-
sion. While once there was only one automated fluid waste management option
available, rival technologies have since entered the market. The choices range from
portable suction units that drain through docking stations, to stationary wall-mount-
ed suction systems, to closed-canister emptying devices.
COST JUSTIFY
Should You Invest In an
Automated Fluid Waste Disposal System?
z ON YOUR FEET Today's fluid waste
management options make the job
of collecting runoff safer and easier.
