KitNewCare Case Study: Elimination of Redundant Peritoneal Dialysis Fluid Heaters

This project was undertaken at Warszawski Uniwersytet Medyczny Hospital as part of the KitNewCare project. 

Team members 

Zuzanna Jakubowska¹ 

Małgorzata Kępska Dzilińska¹

Ewa Wojtaszek¹

Jolanta Małyszko¹

Paweł Żebrowski¹

Urszula Jabłońska²

Jarosław Gopek³

1 physician, nephrologist

2 nurse 

3 administrative worker / finance professional

Life Cycle Assessment Support 

Life Cycle Assessments were conducted by Dr James Larkin, Postdoctoral Researcher and Sustainability Officer at Trinity College Dublin.

Setting/ patient group

 The optimization was implemented in the dialysis department of a university hospital. The unit occasionally provides care for approximately 20 peritoneal dialysis patients, primarily in emergency situations such as peritonitis, while their chronic treatment is conducted at home. 

Issue

In the dialysis unit, four fluid heaters have been continuously operating as a result of the room organization, which divided the treatment space into two separate sections. While this arrangement ensured convenient access, it also led to the unnecessary use of four devices at the same time. 

Intervention 

A structured action plan was developed to support implementation. Baseline electricity consumption of the heater was measured using a plug-in energy meter, and approval for the change was obtained from department leadership. Staff were informed of the revised workflow, with one heater designated for routine use and the second retained for emergency backup. Clear guidance on heater use was provided, and electricity consumption and staff feedback were monitored following implementation to evaluate the impact of the change.

Outcomes

Patient 

No safety risks were observed following implementation. Fluid warming remained available when required, and no adverse events or disruptions to patient care were reported during the observation period.

Environmental 

Removal of three heaters from routine use saved an estimated 197.1 kWh of electricity per year, reducing carbon emissions by approximately 136.2 kg CO₂e annually (6.81 kg CO₂e per patient per year). The change also reduced water deprivation impacts by an estimated 42.13 m³ world-equivalent annually, or 2.11 m³ per patient per year.

Economic 

The reduction in electricity consumption resulted in lower energy-related costs. Estimated cost savings were 56.87 PLN per year (€13.27).

Social

There was an estimated reduction of 419.83 forced labour medium-risk hours per year, or 21 forced labour medium-risk hours per patient per year.

Summary

This project demonstrates that small operational changes can deliver measurable sustainability benefits without affecting patient safety or workflow. Consolidating fluid warming to a single device reduced energy consumption while maintaining clinical flexibility through the availability of backup heaters.