Cost-effectiveness and safety of reusable tracheal suction tubes.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate whether the repetitive use of disposable tracheal suction tubes is cost-effective and safe over the single use. MATERIAL AND METHOD: The cost intrinsic to the washing, cleaning, re-sterilization by ethylene oxide gas, and processing was determined and compared to the cost generated by disposable tubes. The reused disposable suction tubes were also determined for their properties in physical characters and probable contamination and damages. RESULTS: The evaluation showed that cost from single-use disposable suction tubes (8.66 baht) was cheaper than expenses generated from processing steps for recycling of disposable tubes (9.92 baht). The use of a disposable tube only once should minimize the risks posed by the use of the potentially unsafe reused disposable tubes both to the patients and health care workers. CONCLUSION: Recycling of tracheal suction tubes was neither cost-effective nor safe.