Reducing waste and improving provider safety: a retrospective analysis with lessons from the COVID-19 Pandemic

Reducing waste is an important component in comprehensive efforts to create greener intensive care units (ICU). Personal protective equipment (PPE) constitutes a significant share of the waste produced during ICU care. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the availability and supply of PPE posed substantial challenges globally. We aimed to investigate the lessons learned from the use of PPE during the pandemic (regarding the reduction of PPE consumption) and impact on hospital-acquired infections in healthcare workers.

Conducting a retrospective analysis, we examined all newly issued standard operating procedures for the ICU related to the pandemic. We observed for a potential effect on the use of PPE and scrutinized PPE consumption and patient day data focusing on potential differences between 2020 and the following years until 2023. The primary objective was to evaluate the impact of the protocols and measures on PPE consumption.

Our analysis revealed that the implementation of four key infection control measures (cohorting, limitation of visits, institutional protocols for PPE use, staff training) lead to a substantial reduction in the use of masks and isolation gowns during the initial stages of the COVID-19 pandemic with no recorded hospital-acquired infections among healthcare workers.

It is possible to reduce PPE consumption without compromising the safety of our healthcare professionals. Our observations may guide future policies to reduce PPE consumption with the intent of reducing the environmental impact.