Quantifying Medical Waste at a Veterans Affairs Operating Room.

Introduction: Medical waste is an environmental, financial, and administrative burden to the health care system. Attempts to decrease waste should begin by quantifying the amount of waste at an individual facility. This study attempts to quantify the amount of medical waste associated with operative cases at an urban Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC). Methods: The study was a prospective of analysis of surplus equipment and supplies accumulated by a single surgical team over a 6-week period from a VAMC operating room. The equipment and supplies were counted and weighed. The cost of the most common items was calculated using standard procurement values. Results: Overall, there were 81 pieces of surplus equipment and 1122 pieces of surplus medical supplies. The most common piece of equipment was a towel clip, and the most common medical supply was a blue towel. The total weight of the equipment was 72.2 kg. The five most common items were blue towels, suture, gloves, gowns, and gauze pads. Based on standard pricing, the individual price for each of the five above items was $1.32, $1.84, $4.05, $5.74, and $0.13, respectively. Over the 6-week period, the total cost of the five most common items was $1,764.56. Finally, the total weight of the surplus items was 72.2 kg. Conclusions: Operative waste includes equipment and supplies that increase time, effort, and costs. Quantifying the waste allows each facility the opportunity to introduce potential strategies to reduce extraneous medical equipment and supplies.