Editor's Note Research published in the British Journal of Anaesthesia suggests that switching to a single syringe pump for both induction and maintenance of anesthesia could significantly cut propofol waste in operating rooms. EurekAlert! published the news October 29.  Propofol waste accounts for up to 45% of medication waste in…

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Editor's Note In 2023, hospitals and surgical centers saved more than $465 million and prevented nearly 98 million pounds of greenhouse gas emissions by utilizing reprocessed single-use medical devices, according to a survey by the Association of Medical Device Reprocessors (AMDR). DotMed reported the news October 21. The data indicate…

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Editor's Note If global healthcare were a country, it would rank as the fifth-largest emitter of greenhouse gases. So says Dr. Sofya Asfaw, a trauma and critical care surgeon at Cleveland Clinic, in a JAMA Network video on “greening” the OR. Published July 17, the short film features experts like…

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Editor's Note Effective waste segregation and adopting a circular economy approach can significantly reduce environmental impact of incinerating hospital waste incorrectly classified as hazardous, according to a narrative review published August 19 in the Medical Journal of Australia. However, surgeons' concerns about patient safety and insufficient systemic policies can hinder…

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Editor's Note Designing ORs with a focus on patient flow, room organization, and the needs of surgical teams can reduce burnout while improving workplace positivity and patient outcomes. That’s according to an April 9 report from Mayo Clinic, where researchers recently integrated 3D space capture technology with traditional focus groups…

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Editor's Note Citing environmental concerns, multiple health systems have stopped using desflurane anesthesia gas, Becker’s Hospital Review reported on May 7. Citing the Philadelphia Inquirer, the outlet notes that Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and Marlton, N.J.-based Virtua Health are among those that have eliminated the gas so far, with the…

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Editor's Note Penn Medicine has made significant strides in reducing the environmental footprint of the OR through department- and team-level initiatives, according to a March 29 report in Penn Medicine news. Driven by CIRCE: Medicine, a faculty group consisting of providers from Penn Medicine and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, examples…

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Editor's Note A hospital system in Canada is pioneering a safer, more efficient approach to anterior hip replacements that could become a model for improving flow and addressing surgical backlogs, Hospital News reported on December 28. Developed by Humber River Health in Toronto, the Hyper-Throughput Operating Room leverages lean processing…

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Editor's Note This review published by the Journal of the American College of Surgeons shows that surgical scorecards, or cards that summarize information regarding the cost of surgical items and procedures along with comparisons to similar operations, have been shown to significantly reduce costs without impacting clinical outcomes when presented…

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Editor's Note This study by researchers at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, California, finds that simple adjustments to single-use surgical packs can have a significant impact on waste reduction and cost-savings in general surgery cases. Researchers tracked unused items in two standard packs opened for 35 general surgery cases. A new…

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