Disposables are found in every segment of our daily lives. From items like paper plates and tissues to medical items like gloves, masks and syringes, they have become essential.
While they can be useful, people tend to avoid single-use items like plastic spoons and paper plates to reduce the amount of waste formed. However, avoiding medical disposables is not quite as simple.
In this guide, we will discuss how to handle medical disposable devices and minimize the risk of contamination.
Introduction
Hospitals and clinics must maintain a sterile environment. To avoid cross-contamination and maintain patient safety, doctors and nurses should follow a few good practices:
- Wearing a mask to avoid germs being transmitted by air
- Using gloves during patient visits
- Wearing aprons and shoe covers
What are Medical Disposable Devices?
Some essential disposable medical items are syringes, gloves, and masks. These are needed in large numbers in hospitals and clinics to maintain proper sterile procedures. They are not made for reuse and should be thrown away safely right after they have been used.
Their main purpose is:
- Patient safety and avoiding infections
- Cheaper compared to reusable ones
- Labor and time savings since they do not require cleaning
- Consistent
Types of Medical Disposable Devices
There are various items available in the market which can serve as medical disposable devices. To name a few, there are:
- Surgical masks
- Disposable gloves
- Medical drapes and sheets
- Disposable syringe
- Shoe covers and lab coats
- Blood transfusion sets
- Disposable lancets
- IV cannulas
- Bandages
Let us look into a few of the more common medical disposable devices.
Disposable Syringes
These have become very common in the medical market. Usually, they are made from polypropylene. They are popular due to:
- Wide availability
- Cheap
- Easy to use
- Sterilized before packing
Types of Syringes
Disposable syringes are widely available in different designs. They are:
- Disposable simple pump syringes for drug delivery
- Oral syringes for administering small volumes of drugs orally
- Hypodermic needles for used for taking blood samples and injecting fluids/ drugs
- Bulb syringes for surgical purposes like applying suction
- Insulin syringes which have smaller needles for drug delivery.
- Luer slip syringes are used to check the dose. These do not come with needles but a needle can be attached if needed.
Uses and Benefits
Disposable syringes come in a variety of sizes and should be selected based on the requirements. They have a large number of uses like:
- Drawing blood
- Giving drugs and vaccines
- Infusing IV therapy
- Measuring liquids
- R&D purposes
While some might still ask for the older, reusable glass needles, disposable plastic needles have a few benefits over them. The pros of using a disposable syringe are:
- Safer and easy to use
- Accuracy in drugs injected
- They come color coded, reducing the risk of errors
- Cheaper than glass syringes
- Can be recycled if disposed of properly
- Reduce labor costs since they do not need cleaning
Disposable Gloves
Gloves made of rubber or similar materials find use in our daily lives for activities like cleaning and gardening. In medical clinics and hospitals disposable gloves are very common and worn to avoid risks of infection.
Gloves are usually worn by medical personnel to provide a protective barrier between a person and foreign materials (drugs or other sterilized equipment). Sterile gloves come wrapped as single pieces, while non-sterile ones come as an entire package. However, the protection provided depends upon:
- How long the glove is worn
- Chemicals it came into contact with
- If the glove is well-fitted to the person
- Handling
Materials Used
A large number of synthetic and naturally-drawn materials can be used to make disposable gloves. The most common among them are:
- Latex from rubber trees
- Vinyl gloves: do not last long
- Nitrile: resistant to punctures and chemicals
- Polyvinyl chloride
- Polyurethane
Applications in Medicine
When working in a hospital, wear gloves and other PPE. The reasons for their use are as follows:
- protect workers from being exposed to germs and infections
- avoid contact with the bodily fluids of patients
- keep patients protected from coming into contact with another’s germs
- avoid direct contact with drugs and sterile equipment
- help keep the area as sterile as possible
- To stop the spread of germs
Surgical Instruments
Tools which are used by doctors in the OT to open soft tissue, make cuts, set bones or perform other procedures are known as surgical devices.
Common Instruments
The list of surgical devices used in the OT vary as per procedure. However, a few things are very common and used for multiple purposes. This includes but is not limited to:
- Disposables like gloves, masks, and syringes
- Hypodermic needles
- Single-use suction catheters
- IV cannula sets
- Blood transfusion sets
- Disposable lancets
- Bandages and cotton
- Lab masks and shoe covers
Uses and Advantages
In older times, surgical instruments had to be sterilized before and after every use. However, with time, people have moved on to using single-use surgical instruments. The reasons for usage and advantages are:
- Reduced risks of infection when safely disposed
- Ensuring patient safety by avoiding infections
- Consistent due to being made for single-use
- Cheaper than reusable items
- Saves time and resources since they come pre-sterilized
Why Are They Better Than Reusable Instruments?
Disposable surgical equipment saves time and labor since they do not need to be separately sanitized. Furthermore, they are designed to ensure consistent performance for every item. Using them reduces the chances of infection, and helps maintain a sterile environment. In addition, they are cheaper than reusable ones because of the materials used.
Disposable Masks and Gowns
In hospitals and clinics, doctors are always seen clad in masks and gowns (aprons). Reusable ones had to be cleaned and sanitized for every use. Nowadays, however, disposable items are used.
These are worn to:
- Protect patients from foreign contaminants
- Prevent the transmission of infections
- Protects the wearer from liquids
- Protect their clothing
Types of Masks
To protect themselves, patients and others, face masks are widely used by doctors and nurses. The common types of masks used in the hospital include:
- Surgical N95 masks or respirators are used to protect from microbes, particulate matter, and bodily fluids
- Face masks for general uses as a fluid barrier
- Face barrier coverings
- Loose-fitting disposable surgical masks
Types of Protective Gowns
Medical protective gowns are designed to offer protection from low-risk to high-risk situations. To pick the right gown for your situation is essential. The main types of medical gowns are:
- Non-surgical gowns: used in routine procedures.
- Coveralls: highly contagious infections.
- Surgical and Non-Surgical Isolation Gowns
Furthermore, patients also require gowns and aprons during their hospital visits. This can be a reusable cloth gown or one made with a disposable material. Furthermore, some patients need specialized gowns with slits made for IV lines.
Medical Drapes
To protect the patient and the surgical field from contamination, medical drapes act as an effective barrier.
Types
Disposable medical drapes are classified based on their uses and material.
- Adhesive drapes
- Abdominal drapes
- Cesarean drapes
- Aperture drapes
- Mediwall drapes
- Hand drapes and drape sheets
- Laparotomy drapes
- Incise film
Applications and Advantages
Medical drapes are widely used in the OT and birthing rooms. They have the following uses:
- Maintaining sterility and avoiding contamination
- Protecting the incision/operation site during surgery
- Protecting the surgical team
- Creating a sterile area
Benefits of Using Disposable Medical Devices
Medical practitioners can use disposable medical devices to:
- Maintain a sterile field
- Reduce transmission of infections
- Save time and improve their efficiency
However, the most visible benefits are seen in the following areas.
Infection Control
The use of disposable medical equipment (especially PPE like masks and gloves) are encouraged to ensure effective infection control. They have the following benefits:
- Medical drapes can be used to create a barrier between a sterile field and the rest of the space
- Disposables like gloves, masks and gowns prevent the transmission of diseases
- Using disposable equipment helps reduce the risk of cross contamination
Cost-Effectiveness
Disposable medical equipment are made using different plastics. This makes them cheaper to manufacture as compared to usable equipment. Mass manufacturing brings down costs and ensures quality control. Further, their use saves time, since they come in isolated sterile packs.
Convenience and Efficiency
Disposable medical equipment come in single packs and are pre-sterilized. This reduces the hassle of cleaning and sterilizing them before use. This saves time during medical procedures and increases the efficiency of the medical personnel.
Challenges and Considerations
It is argued that all single-use items are polluting in nature. However, the ease with which disposable items are used and manufactured has led to the markets being flooded with them.
Environmental Impact
Disposable medical equipment can have a severe impact if they are not used with care and caution. Medical personnel should keep in mind the challenges which are associated with their uses and be aware of the steps which can be taken to mitigate their impact.
Challenges
Overuse and mishandling of single-use disposable medical equipment can cause:
- Large amount of solid waste formation
- Micro-plastics can be formed from improperly-disposed equipment
- Incineration of medical wastes creates greenhouse gases
Solutions
To curb the harmful impact of disposables on the environment, the following can be done:
- Proper waste segregation
- Using circular business models
- Recycling
- Using bioplastics and other biodegradable materials
Quality and Reliability
One thing which can be counted on in mass produced medical disposable items is quality control. Furthermore, mass produced items are easily available. They can be a good way to maintain inventory. Additionally, they are reliable because the equipment and materials used for manufacturing them remain the same.
Challenges
A few challenges can be faced when we opt for disposable medical equipment.
- Medical waste is a leading cause of pollution.
- Supply chain issues can easily disrupt availability.
- Limited options are available for custom equipment.
- They can become costly over time.
- A quality issue with a single product can carry over to an entire batch
Solutions
However, these issues can be easily solved with a few simple steps.
- Using biodegradable materials like bioplastics wherever possible
- Improving the supply chain
- Reducing chemical wastes
- Using cyclic processes in manufacturing
Cost Implications
When selecting any equipment, cost is always a major factor. This was one of the key reasons why people moved from using reusable medical equipment to disposable ones. However, there are a few parameters which are to be considered for costs.
Challenges
Cost related challenges can come up when we consider the long-term usage costs for any disposable equipment. With prolonged use, the individual costs add up and can become greater than the costs borne for reusable equipment.
Solutions
There are a few solutions and conditions that we should keep in mind when we talk about costs.
- Reusable items have high initial costs
- It costs time and labor to sterilize reusable items.
- Over a period of usage, reusable items suffer wear and tear and lose their efficiency.
- Mass manufacturing has reduced the cost of disposables
- Further, proper inventory maintenance can also bring down costs
Balancing Quality and Expense
The ideal equipment for any clinic should have a perfect balance of quality vis-a-vis their cost.
Challenges
With respect to costs, challenges can occur as:
- High initial costs
- Cost of continuous replacement
- Different batches can have different costs due to inflation
Further, cheaper materials can have poor quality. This can lead to services being hampered and increased risks.
Solutions
Even if the issues sound severe, their solutions are fairly simple and effective.
- Go for a reliable, certified supplier/manufacturer
- Ensure that quality is being maintained in the products supplied
- Maintain product inventory
- Consider labor costs and time saved when doing the cost analysis
- Check the warranties and the supplier’s return policy before ordering
Innovations and Future Trends
The demand for disposable items has increased, with an increasing focus on preventing infections. Disposable medical supplies manufacturers are trying to innovate ways to beat the challenges which come with medical waste while keeping the costs of manufacturing low.
Technological Advancements
A few advancements concerning innovation in disposable medical equipment are:
- Use of bioplastics:
These are used in the medical industry in four common ways:
- Making medical disposables
- Creating medical implants
- Making surgical equipment
- Medical device packaging
- 3D bioprinting can be used to:
- Create disposables at an affordable price with strict quality control
- Make lab-grown organs and implants for patients
- Predictive analysis can be used to manufacture better equipment and make improvements to existing products.
Market Trends
The post-COVID medical industry has changed its outlook in terms of responding to diseases and providing medical care. Greater stress has been put on:
- Prevention of infections
- Generating awareness among the masses
- Providing care to an ageing population
This has increased the demand for PPE and made the standards for preventing infections stricter than ever before. People have greater awareness about maintaining hygiene. Medical professionals encourage stricter norms for maintaining sterile conditions.
Further, awareness about sustainable business practices has provided a boost to bioplastics. These are being used in more ways than one to reduce pollution and make biodegradable implants.
Conclusion
With changing times and medical norms, disposable medical equipment have gained a lot of importance. While there are concerns about their environmental impact, the benefits outweigh the cons.
Modern technology is meeting the growing demand. Both medical disposables and implants are being made with bioplastics to make them more eco-friendly.
