Weight and Cost of unused supplies in ENT and sleep theatre

INTRODUCTION: Operating room waste is believed necessary for patient quality of care and safety. Part of this waste is unused before disposal and is therefore avoidable.
AIMS: The primary aim of this study was to quantify the amount of solid waste discarded before use in our ENT operating theatre. The secondary aims were to investigate the cost implications of this wastage and to assess the awareness of operating room waste among theatre staff.
MATERIAL AND METHODS: Knowledge of unused waste among theatre staff was assessed by a survey completed by surgeons, anaesthetists, nurses, and technicians (n = 49). From May 1 to June 30, 2021, all disposable material unnecessarily unpacked for each intervention was counted, listed and weighed. Subjective perception was then compared to actual waste quantification and correlated to demographic variables (age, gender, function, experience).
RESULTS: During the 2-month collection, 116.3 kg of disposable material (worth 2 633.93€ and responsible for the release of 604.76 Kg of atmospheric carbon dioxide) were discarded without having been used. Caregivers’ estimates matched neither weight nor cost. The waste estimate was unrelated to demographic variables.
CONCLUSIONS: Operating theatres produce substantial amounts of unused waste. Better allocation of disposable material would likely allow operating rooms to reduce the negative impacts of waste production without compromising patient care. Increasing awareness of waste of disposable material could be a first step to reduce waste and increase efficiency while maintaining optimal patient care.