With the increasingly perceptible effects of climate change, there is also growing pressure on companies in the healthcare sector to become climate-neutral. The high consumption of disposable products during prolonged infection-related inpatient treatment also plays a role in the carbon footprint caused by hospitals. Use of infection prevention filters can help to reduce the average length of stay and thus, at the same time, the consumption of materials per patient.
Enormous amount of hospital waste
Approximately six kilograms of waste is generated per hospital bed every day1. This results in an enormous amount of waste – particularly in Germany, which has the highest number of hospital beds in Europe and the second highest concentration of patients2. It is revealing that the healthcare sector in this country ranks fifth on the list of the largest producers of waste altogether3.
However, the amount of waste generated during patient care cannot be easily reduced, as there are hygienic and regulatory reasons for using disposable supplies. Furthermore, a switch to reusable products would not necessarily lead to a reduction in carbon dioxide emissions.
Infection prevention saves on waste
It is interesting to note in this regard that a considerable share of hospital waste can be attributed to (preventable) nosocomial infections, as these have a large impact on the length of a patient's hospital stay4. Studies show that nosocomial infection extends the length of hospital stays by an average of 30 days5.
The absolute number of nosocomial infections amounts to a total of 400,000 to 600,000 cases in German hospitals per year. Approximately 180 kilograms of additional waste is generated2 during the period of such infection treatment. Overall, nosocomial infections are therefore responsible for between 72,000 and 108,000 tons of hospital waste each year. Consequently, effective infection prevention measures could reduce the amount of waste by up to 32,400 tons.
Water filters are surprisingly good for the climate
Of course, the production of Point-of-Use filters also leaves a carbon footprint. However, with a carbon dioxide equivalent of 7.5 grams per day of use (according to ecological balancing based on DIN EN ISO 14040 and DIN EN ISO 14044), this is surprisingly small. It corresponds to the carbon footprint of less than two fingers of a disposable medical glove.
If the amount of waste generated by a infection prevention filter is compared with the amount of waste that would be saved by avoiding a nosocomial infection in a 30-day period, then the balance is clear: 18 grams of waste generated when using the filter versus 180 kilograms less hospital waste.
The ultimate aim is to expose contamination pathways
There is clear evidence that employment of Point-of-Use water filters can stop outbreaks (or in the case of contamination of tap water with facultative pathogenic bacteria, block them in their development). Beyond this, however, it is important to clarify the question as to whether infection prevention filters also reduce their prevalence, and thus lead to sustainable savings in the area of carbon dioxide emissions.
Therefore, i3 Membrane will join forces with university hospitals in both Germany and the U.S. in order to research contamination pathways. Only with precise knowledge of where pathogenic germs are transmitted can effective measures be achieved in order to reduce their prevalence. This knowledge will make it possible to make well-founded statements about the potential of Point-of-Care filters to improve the carbon footprint of hospitals.