title: Cost-effectiveness and safety of reusable tracheal suction tubes.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate whether the repetitive use of disposable tracheal suction tubes is cost-effective and safe over the single use.
  
  
  METHODS
  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.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Recycling of tracheal suction tubes was neither cost-effective nor safe.
authors.affiliation: Chiang Rai Prachanukroh Hospital, Chiang Rai.
authors.forename: Penjan
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Nanta
authors.forename: Wilawan
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Senarat
authors.forename: Chanwit
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tribuddharat
authors.forename: Somwang
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Danchaivijitr
mesh_terms: D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D004209:Disposable Equipment / Q000191:economics* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004868:Equipment Failure; D017743:Equipment Reuse / Q000191:economics*; D017721:Hospital Costs; D006801:Humans; D007442:Intubation, Intratracheal / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000295:instrumentation*; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012449:Safety; D013396:Suction / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000295:instrumentation*; D013785:Thailand