1 4 0 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E • D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 7
If you're thinking of
upgrading to a
fluid waste man-
agement system,
here's a look at
your 3 options.
• Suction canis-
ter systems gather
fluid during sur-
gery into canisters
(0.5-3 liters), just
as it happens with the traditional canister method, only once the
fluids are ready to be disposed, you take the canisters to a sta-
tionary built-in port, where the fluid is drawn directly into sanitary
sewage. You can use single-use or reusable canisters with this
method, depending on your preference and needs. This method is
perfect for smaller outpatient facilities with a few ORs, which is
why we chose it for our own upgrade.
• Fluid cart systems involve mobile carts that hold large (20-52
liters) reservoirs onboard to collect fluid during operations. Once
the procedure is complete and all the fluids have been gathered,
the cart, like the canisters, is wheeled to a stationary dock that
pumps the fluid from the cart directly into sewage. The added
benefit of the cart-and-dock method is that the reservoirs are
reprocessed within the same system, and the only single-use
features are cleaning agents and solutions. Additionally, some
SANITARY SEWER SYSTEM
Your Direct-to-Drain Options
Direct-to-drain systems eliminate the need to red-bag liquid waste or pour it down
the drain.
Pamela
Bevelhymer,
RN,
BSN,
CNOR
