Claire E White-Dzuro, Patrick W Doyle, Michael C Larson, Katherine C Frederick-Dyer
{"title":"Garbage Out: A Radiologist's Guide to Hospital Waste Streams.","authors":"Claire E White-Dzuro, Patrick W Doyle, Michael C Larson, Katherine C Frederick-Dyer","doi":"10.1097/RCT.0000000000001681","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Abstract: </strong>What happens to trash after disposal? The management and processing of discarded items is often opaque and taken for granted, but an understanding of hospital waste streams is important for radiology departments and hospital systems for economic, regulatory, and environmental reasons. In this paper, we discuss the numerous waste pathways including general, hazardous, pharmaceutical, radioactive, and electronic waste as well as sustainable waste streams including laundry services, composting, and recycling. Costs, regulatory issues, and environmental considerations associated with each pathway are reviewed. We also describe radiology's specific contributions to each waste stream as well as variations in department practices, tips for optimal use, and future research investigations that could impact waste volume. Healthcare garbage disposal pathways will only increase in importance as our healthcare needs and systems continue to grow, and waste optimization efforts yield benefits to operation costs, environmental ecosystems, and human health.</p>","PeriodicalId":15402,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Computer Assisted Tomography","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.0000,"publicationDate":"2024-12-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Journal of Computer Assisted Tomography","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1097/RCT.0000000000001681","RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q4","JCRName":"RADIOLOGY, NUCLEAR MEDICINE & MEDICAL IMAGING","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Abstract: What happens to trash after disposal? The management and processing of discarded items is often opaque and taken for granted, but an understanding of hospital waste streams is important for radiology departments and hospital systems for economic, regulatory, and environmental reasons. In this paper, we discuss the numerous waste pathways including general, hazardous, pharmaceutical, radioactive, and electronic waste as well as sustainable waste streams including laundry services, composting, and recycling. Costs, regulatory issues, and environmental considerations associated with each pathway are reviewed. We also describe radiology's specific contributions to each waste stream as well as variations in department practices, tips for optimal use, and future research investigations that could impact waste volume. Healthcare garbage disposal pathways will only increase in importance as our healthcare needs and systems continue to grow, and waste optimization efforts yield benefits to operation costs, environmental ecosystems, and human health.
期刊介绍:
The mission of Journal of Computer Assisted Tomography is to showcase the latest clinical and research developments in CT, MR, and closely related diagnostic techniques. We encourage submission of both original research and review articles that have immediate or promissory clinical applications. Topics of special interest include: 1) functional MR and CT of the brain and body; 2) advanced/innovative MRI techniques (diffusion, perfusion, rapid scanning); and 3) advanced/innovative CT techniques (perfusion, multi-energy, dose-reduction, and processing).