Reducing Veterinary Waste: Surgical Site Infection Risk and the Ecological Impact of Woven and Disposable Drapes

Molly Vasanthakumar

doi:10.18849/ve.v4i3.251

Abstract

PICO questionIn animals undergoing surgery, does the use of disposable synthetic drapes reduce the risk of surgical site infections when compared to reusable woven drapes?Clinical bottom lineCurrent literature on the risk of surgical site infection with disposable and reusable drapes in animals is limited. Three human studies were reviewed, one systematic review and two controlled trials. Both these study types generally provide high levels of evidence; however their individual limitations reduce the quality of their data. Overall the results were mixed, and due to the small number of reviewed papers and the fact that only one study specifically measured surgical site infection as the outcome, it is not possible to conclude that disposable drapes reduce the risk of surgical site infections (SSI) when compared to reusable drapes.The impact of the veterinary profession on the ecosystem is often ignored. When following the One Health concept, vets must consider the ecological impact of clinical decisions. Choosing reusable drapes for certain clean, elective procedures may be a way to reduce waste without compromising the health of patients.

Highlights

Overall the reviewed papers had mixed results with no conclusion as to whether there is a reduction in the risk of surgical site infections (SSI) when disposable drapes are used compared to reusable
The purpose of this knowledge summary was to investigate whether disposable drapes reduce the risk of surgical site infections (SSI)
The paper by Laufman et al (1975) may have shown that not all disposable drapes are impermeable to wet bacterial strike through and Kieser et al (2018) concluded that there was no statistically significant difference in air bacterial counts between both groups, SSI are inevitably multifactorial and it is not clear how much these factors contribute to the risk of a surgical site infection

Summary

A Knowledge Summary by Molly Vasanthakumar DVM student 1*

Studies have shown that reusable gown systems reduce energy consumption, greenhouse gas emissions and solid waste generation when compared to disposable options (Vozzola et al, 2018). The aim of this knowledge summary is to identify if using disposable drapes decreases the risk of SSI with the view to provide an opportunity to reflect on the waste produced by the veterinary profession.

Summary of the evidence

Limitations

Findings

Methodology Section