High-value disposable medical devices are facing waste problems

Summary:

Nowadays, single-use sterile medical devices are used more and more clinically, which has a positive effect on reducing cross-infection.

Release Date:

Oct 19,2021

Nowadays, single-use sterile medical devices are used more and more clinically, which has a positive effect on reducing cross-infection. But in fact, many disposable high-value medical supplies, such as electric knife, electric drill, ultrasonic blade, etc., can be used after disinfection. In order to increase sales, manufacturers design them to be disassembled and disassembled once, which causes waste and increases the burden on patients. It is recommended to revise the relevant interim management measures to rationally dispose of disposable high-value medical equipment and supplies.

Disposable medical supplies objectively increase medical expenses. In particular, some high-value disposable medical supplies can range from hundreds of yuan to tens of thousands of yuan, or even hundreds of thousands of yuan. These high-value medical equipment and supplies, if they are only used once and then destroyed, are indeed very wasteful.

The so-called disposable medical supplies should be further classified and treated separately. For example, many low-value disposable sterile medical devices used in clinical practice, such as syringes, infusion sets, etc., are not suitable for multiple use, difficult to clean and sterilize packaging, and low value. Repeated use is easy to cause crossover. Infect. Such medical equipment must be resolutely used and destroyed once in accordance with regulations.

However, in clinical practice, some manufacturers do indicate that they are disposable high-value medical equipment supplies. In fact, their sterile packaging is disposable, and the equipment itself can be used multiple times. As long as the packaging is cleaned and disinfected as required, it is used, and Will not bring any danger to patients or reduce the quality of medical care. Such as some electric knife, electric drill, ultrasonic cutter head and some surgical instruments and electrode probes for interventional therapy.

To appropriately modify the current provisional management measures for disposable medical supplies, the Technical Supervision Bureau should be organized to formulate detailed cleaning, packaging and disinfection procedures and quality inspection standards in conjunction with medical experts and engineering technicians. Medical units that have the conditions to clean, package and sterilize the above-mentioned disposable high-value medical equipment are allowed to be reused, but they must be handled in strict accordance with the new regulations and standards. Especially for economically underdeveloped areas, it is not advisable to vigorously promote disposable medical supplies.

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