Reducing Water Waste at OR Scrub Sinks

Surgeons are wasting an estimated 337,596 liters of water annually during surgical scrubs, representing 34.2% of total usage.

  • The median water wasted per wet scrub at timer-controlled sinks is 10 liters.
  • Wet scrubs are performed in 25.9% of cases by attending surgeons and OR staff.

Optimizing scrub practices could lead to significant water conservation without compromising patient safety.

  • Timer-controlled sinks waste more water compared to knee-operated sinks.

Observational Study by Hu CJ, Reilly M (…) Ho KJ et 3 al. in Ann Surg

Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.

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