Environmental Clarity, Inc., Reston, VA.
Environmental Clarity, Inc., Reston, VA.
Am J Infect Control. 2018 Aug;46(8):881-886. doi: 10.1016/j.ajic.2018.02.002. Epub 2018 Apr 11.
Isolation gowns serve a critical role in infection control by protecting healthcare workers, visitors, and patients from the transfer of microorganisms and body fluids. The decision of whether to use a reusable or disposable garment system is a selection process based on factors including sustainability, barrier effectiveness, cost, and comfort. Environmental sustainability is increasingly being used in the decision-making process. Life cycle assessment is the most comprehensive and widely used tool used to evaluate environmental performance.
The environmental impacts of market-representative reusable and disposable isolation gown systems were compared using standard life cycle assessment procedures. The basis of comparison was 1,000 isolation gown uses in a healthcare setting. The scope included the manufacture, use, and end-of-life stages of the gown systems.
At the healthcare facility, compared to the disposable gown system, the reusable gown system showed a 28% reduction in energy consumption, a 30% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, a 41% reduction in blue water consumption, and a 93% reduction in solid waste generation.
Selecting reusable garment systems may result in significant environmental benefits compared to selecting disposable garment systems. By selecting reusable isolation gowns, healthcare facilities can add these quantitative benefits directly to their sustainability scorecards.
隔离衣在感染控制中起着至关重要的作用，可保护医护人员、访客和患者免受微生物和体液的转移。选择使用可重复使用或一次性服装系统是一个基于可持续性、屏障效果、成本和舒适性等因素的选择过程。环境可持续性越来越多地被用于决策过程中。生命周期评估是用于评估环境性能的最全面和广泛使用的工具。
使用标准的生命周期评估程序比较了市场代表性的可重复使用和一次性隔离衣系统的环境影响。比较的基础是在医疗环境中使用 1000 件隔离衣。范围包括服装系统的制造、使用和使用寿命结束阶段。
与一次性手术衣系统相比，在医疗机构中，可重复使用的手术衣系统可减少 28%的能源消耗、30%的温室气体排放、41%的蓝水消耗和 93%的固体废物产生。
与选择一次性手术衣系统相比，选择可重复使用的服装系统可能会带来显著的环境效益。通过选择可重复使用的隔离衣，医疗机构可以将这些定量效益直接纳入其可持续性记分卡。
