Resource

New to thinking about Sustainability in Operating Theatres? A couple of useful review articles (one short, one long)….

Charlotte  Holbrook
Charlotte Holbrook • 1 January 2019

Environmentalism in surgical practice. Weiss, A et al. Current Problems in Surgery. April 2016; 53 (4): 165-205

A long article, but worth taking time to read. It provides a really good breakdown of all sources of waste in operating theatres. It also talks about how various members of the operating theatre team can be involved in improving environmental sustainability before going on to detail a number of potential interventions and their merits/disadvantages. It’s an American paper, but despite discussing these aspects in the context of a different healthcare system, it still has relevance for the NHS.

People, planet and profits: the case for greening operating rooms. Kagoma Y, Stall N, Rubinstein E, Naudie D. CMAJ. 2012 Nov 20; 184(17): 1905–1911

A Canadian article that is a quicker read than the aforementioned one, but covers similar themes structured using the “5 R’s” (reduce, reuse, recycle, rethink and research). It also has a rather nice figure visualizing these 5 R’s (which I would post but may breach copywrite rules!).

Resource author(s)
Weiss, A., et al
Resource publishing organisation(s) or journal
Current Problems in Surgery
Resource publication date
April 2016

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