Comparative Analysis of Bedpan Processing Equipment - Hygie

edpans calculated takes into account maximum usage and bed occupation rates. The cost
per kWh used to calculate power consumption is modelled on that for an average hospital.
Taxes and shipping/handling fees were not included in the calculations.
Irrespective of the machine capacity and speed, the results (Table 5) indicated that annual
acquisition costs related to the use of macerators were slightly lower than those for bedpan
washers ($6,773 vs $8,251). Conversely, the annual operating costs for the use of
macerators were approximately 9 times higher than those for bedpan washers ($145,293 vs
$16,349). As for the use of hygienic bags, although there were no equipment costs (capital
costs), the operating costs ($202,356) were 12 times higher than those for bedpan washers
and roughly 1.5 times higher than those for macerators. In summary, given a fully
occupied 400-bed hospital where 33% of patients use a bedpan during an average stay of 4
days, the use of macerators would cost approximately 6 times more than the use of bedpan
washers, and the use of hygienic bags would cost 8 times more.
Note, however, that this exercise is not complete. Some of the items generating extra costs
and definitely affecting the scenario presented here were not considered. These items
include:
Human resource and administrative expenditures: time and wages for nursing staff and
maintenance staff, administrative fees for ordering disposable bedpans, etc.
Work involved in infrastructure conversion: storage space, plumbing, electrical
installation, utility room operation and maintenance, etc.
Environmental impact: energy required to manufacture bedpans and hygienic bags,
volume of solid and liquid waste.
Purchasing and processing urinals and small items. Purchase of baskets and other
accessories required to reprocess supplies in bedpan washers.
Sterile processing of reusable bedpans if the necessary procedures are in place:
equipment, room operation and maintenance.
Transport of reusable bedpans and disposable bedpan supports to CPD (where
applicable).
A field study of the concurrent use of the three methods would provide a cost scenario
closer to clinical reality. The costs associated with managing nosocomial infections
potentially caused by the use of bedpans should also be taken into account. In that regard,
the average cost related to C. difficile-associated disease acquired during a hospital stay is
estimated to be $16,717 14 per stay [O’Brien et al., 2007]. If the use of macerators is
presumed to have a greater preventive effect, that effect would need to yield roughly
8 prevented infections (400-bed hospital with 33% of patients needing bedpans) to justify
the additional expenditure incurred by the use of macerators compared with the use of
bedpan washers. The use of hygienic bags would need to prevent 11 cases of infection
compared with bedpan washers.
14. Represents 46% of total hospitalization costs for ± 15.7 days, of which 2.9 days are attributable to C. difficile-associated disease. Physician
consultation fees are not included.
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