Sterile surgical supply waste identification using asynchronous analysis: Pediatric surgery QI pilot

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Operations
• Surgical Supply Chain Management
• Waste Reduction Strategies

Background:

• The operating room (OR) represents a significant cost and revenue center within hospitals.
• Single-use, sterile surgical supplies (SUSSS) are a key modifiable cost in the OR.
• Unused opened SUSSS contribute to substantial waste, impacting hospital finances and environmental sustainability.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the feasibility of using image analysis to quantify waste of SUSSS in the pediatric OR.
• To identify the types and costs of wasted SUSSS to inform targeted waste reduction strategies.
• To explore an efficient method for tracking SUSSS usage without direct observer presence.

Main Methods:

• A convenience sample of general pediatric surgical cases was observed.
• HIPAA-free images of the surgical scrub table were captured at 2-second intervals during surgeries.
• Images were asynchronously analyzed to collect SUSSS usage data for each case.

Main Results:

• Analysis of 41 pediatric surgeries revealed a median waste cost of $13.10 per surgery (IQR $2.73-$47.97).
• The mean number of wasted SUSSS items per surgery was 9.3 (±6.4).
• Frequently wasted items included sutures and syringes; expensive waste sources were laparoscopic trocars and sutures.

Conclusions:

• Asynchronous analysis of scrub table images effectively identified unused SUSSS.
• This image-based method offers an efficient way to track SUSSS waste without in-person observation.
• Implementing this approach can lead to reduced OR waste, lower healthcare costs, and a smaller carbon footprint.