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Jono Drew, April 12 2023

The environmental impact of single-use and reusable flexible bronchoscopes for tracheal intubation in France

Research highlights

Abstract

Reusable flexible bronchoscopes have historically been used for difficult tracheal intubation in the operating theatre, but the use of single-use bronchoscopes is on the rise. Single-use bronchoscopes are assumed to reduce the risks of cross-contamination1 and reduce hospital costs. However, their technical reliability for difficult tracheal intubation compared with reusable devices is unclear. Moreover, an economic advantage largely depends on the type and number of procedures performed per year as well as study-site specificities. Finally, the potential environmental consequences of this transition have not been sufficiently assessed. This study marks the first attempt to compare the use of single-use and reusable flexible bronchoscopes for difficult tracheal intubation with a holistic approach, encompassing environmental, economic, and clinician satisfaction assessments.  

Methods & Results

For a complete summary of this data source and to see reported environmental impact values for studied products and activities, explore the HealthcareLCA Database.

Citation

Bringier R, Arrigoni A, Muret J, Dro A, Gayat E, Vallée F, Arrigoni Marocco S. An integrated environmental, economic, and clinician satisfaction comparison between single-use and reusable flexible bronchoscopes for tracheal intubation. British journal of anaesthesia : BJA. 2023  

Written by

Jono Drew

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