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HealthcareLCA
In a new study, researchers conducted a life cycle assessment (LCA) to evaluate the carbon footprint of red blood cell (RBC) transfusions across England, where annually 1.36 million units are transfused. The assessment encompassed the entire process flow, which included donation, transportation, manufacturing, testing, stockholding, hospital...
Read MoreBecause of global warming, integrating an ecological dimension to the practice of pathology is crucial, as already performed in other medical specialties. The aim of the study was to estimate the greenhouse gas emissions (GHE) of one biopsy/surgical specimen hematoxylin-phloxine-saffron (HPS) slide, one frozen section examination, and one...
Read MoreBackground: It is estimated that surgical procedures account for 20%-30% of the greenhouse gases emissions from health-care systems. Total knee replacements (TKR) are one of the most frequently performed procedures in orthopaedics. The aim of this study was to identify and quantify the environmental impacts generated by TKRs, the factors that...
Read MorePurpose: The National Health Service (NHS) in the United Kingdom (UK) is aiming to be carbon net zero by 2040 to help limit the dangerous effects of climate change. Radiotherapy contributes to this with potential sources quantified here. Method: Activity data for 42 patients from within the breast IMRT and prostate VMAT pathways were collected....
Read MoreHealth care delivery is estimated to be responsible for 4% to 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions, in large part originating from the supply chain and waste of surgical equipment and surgical attire. The latter is progressive, since an increasing amount of surgical equipment has transitioned from reusable to single-use disposable versions....
Read MoreThis study presents a life cycle assessment of medical workwear, which is an essential type of clothing worn by millions of medical professionals worldwide. The study aims to identify the environmental hotspots and to assess potential reduction scenarios to support decision and policy-making. The study employs LCA as the chosen method to analyse...
Read MoreHealthcare is a critical and complex service sector with direct and indirect greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions amounting to 5%–10% of the national total in developed economies like Canada and the United States. Along with a growing, albeit sporadic, set of life cycle assessment (LCA) (and “carbon footprinting”) studies of specific medical products...
Read MoreBackground: Personal protective equipment has important environmental impacts, assessing these impacts is therefore an important element of personal protective equipment design. We applied carbon footprinting methodology to Bubble-PAPR™, a novel, part-reusable and part-recyclable powered air-purifying respirator, designed at our institution....
Read MoreBackground: The healthcare sector faces increasing pressure to improve environmental sustainability whilst continuing to meet the needs of patients. One strategy is to lower the avoidable demand on healthcare services, by reducing the number of surgical complications, such as anastomotic leak (AL). The aim of this study was to assess the...
Read MoreObjectives: To quantify and compare the cost and environmental impact of different techniques for adult tonsillectomy surgery, and to identify target areas for impact reduction. Methods: Fifteen consecutive adult tonsillectomy surgeries were prospectively randomized to one of three tonsillectomy techniques: cold, monopolar electrocautery, or...
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