Reprocessing and re-use of single-use medical devices
Citation: Hailey D, Jacobs P, Ries N, et al. Reprocessing of single-use medical devices: clinical, economic, and health services impact. Ottawa, Canada: Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health. Technology report number 105. 2008.
Language: Abstract and full text only available in EN.
Free to view: Yes.
Funding sources: Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies.
What is this? Reprocessing and re-use of medical devices that were intended for single use might reduce waste and help build resilient health systems.
In this review, the authors searched for studies with a sample size of at least 20 patients that assessed the use of reprocessed single-use devices in humans. They did not restrict their searches by language of publication and did the search for articles published from 1996 onwards in July 2007. They included 12 studies on five types of medical device. The included studies were randomised trials (3), controlled clinical trials (2), retrospective comparisons (3) and case series (4).
What was found: The results of the included studies suggest that the re-use of single-use devices could be safe and effective, although the evidence is limited and of variable quality.
Implications: The authors of the review concluded the health impact of reprocessing and re-using single-use devices is uncertain, with insufficient evidence available to suggest or rule out harm to patients. They stated that reprocessing can lead to cost savings for health systems but that reprocessing may have other service delivery implications (e.g., liability risks associated with reprocessing single-use devices may lead to additional costs).
Other considerations: The authors of the review did not discuss their findings in the context of issues relating to health equity.
This summary was prepared by Ana Pizarro, edited by Firas Khalid, and finalized by Mike Clarke.