A U G U S T 2 0 1 6 O U T P A T I E N TS U R G E R Y. N E T 5 1
through a fixed docking station, a wall-mounted system that provides more
power than room suction or a rapid-action canister-emptying device, automation
brings convenience to fluid waste management.
"On a heavy ortho day, we have 4 rooms going at the same time, so we handle
a lot of fluid," says Jimmy Henderson, materials manager at the Outpatient
Surgery Center of Jonesboro (Ark.). The only way to keep up with the fluid, he
says, is to station a wheeled suction unit in every room. "You need to get a
portable system that's easy to maintain and use," he adds. "It may cost more on
the front end, but you will save in the long run."
Mobility is an advantage in a busy OR, but any automated collection and dis-
posal method offers safety with its efficiency, says Pam Skipper, RN, administra-
tor of the Carolina Bone and Joint Surgery Center in Myrtle Beach, S.C. "Staff
safety is the main reason to go with an automated, direct-to-drain system," she
says. "These closed systems are compliant with OSHA regulations, which don't
necessarily condone dumping out full canisters by hand."
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Use multiple methods
An automated, closed system isn't your only option for fluid collection
and disposal. Depending on the types of cases you schedule and the vol-
ume of fluid they might generate, perhaps it shouldn't be. "If you want to stay
ahead of the flow of fluid, a multipronged approach is best," says Mr.
Henderson.
Besides portable, high-capacity collection equipment, he notes, it may be
necessary to enlist the assistance of floor-based suction devices, disposable
absorbent mats, surgical drapes with collection pouches or even lined kick
buckets. "There's really no single option," says Mr. Henderson. "Probably the
best choice is to use the many options in tandem."
Shortly after he began working at the Outpatient Surgery Center of Jonesboro,
he noticed that using multiple fluid waste collection solutions sped OR cleaning
