Dr Louise Hansell1,2,3, A/Prof Anthony Delaney4,5,6,7, A/Prof Maree Milross3, Ms Elise Henderson1
1Physiotherapy Department, Royal North Shore Hospital, Northern Sydney Local Health District, St Leonards, Australia, 2Planetary Health, Northern Sydney Local Health District, St Leonards, Australia, 3Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, Australia, 4Malcolm Fisher Department of Intensive Care Medicine, Royal North Shore Hospital, St Leonards, Australia, 5Division of Critical Care, The George Institute for Global Health, University of New South Wales, , Australia, 6Northern Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, Australia, 7ANZIC Research Centre, Department of Epidemiology and Preventative Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
Biography:
Dr Louise Hansell is a physiotherapist and ECR, involved in two programs of research focused on 1) novel assessment of respiratory function using diaphragm and lung ultrasound and 2) environmental sustainability in healthcare. She holds a Post Doctoral Research Fellowship with the University of Sydney and a research officer role building research capacity within Northern Sydney LHD. She has produced 9 publications (100% SJR Q1 journals), and has been cited 105 times.
Abstract:
Background:
Intensive care (ICU) is a major contributor to healthcare emissions. Thirty percent of hospital carbon emissions stem from low-value care. The use of intermittent pneumatic compression (IPC) to reduce venous thromboembolism (VTE) risk is considered a low-value care practice, as literature suggests no additional benefit when used alongside chemical VTE prophylaxis. This study aimed to i) assess the impact of an educational package on IPC use in ICU, ii) calculate the carbon footprint of IPC devices, and iii) evaluate changes in waste, greenhouse gas emissions, and financial costs associated with a change in use of IPC.
Methods:
A before-and-after pilot study was conducted in a single, level III intensive care unit. An audit was performed to assess IPC use over a three-month period before and after the implementation of an educational package to guide the appropriate prescription and use of IPC.
Results:
Unnecessary use of IPC decreased from 33/58 (56.9%) to 3/31 (9.7%) following the educational intervention. A simple bottom-up carbon footprint analysis demonstrated the embodied carbon of a single pair of IPC devices was 432.2 g of CO2 equivalent (CO2e). This study indicates a minimum annual saving of $7,682.40, 14.9 kg of waste, and 51.8 kg CO2e resulting from the reduction in unnecessary IPC use.
Conclusion:
Staff education and behaviour changes led to a reduction in the number of IPC devices used and inappropriate applications. This resulted in lower greenhouse gas emissions and financial costs, as well as reduced waste.