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Background <p>There are environmental and financial benefits to reducing iodinated contrast media (ICM) waste. While Imaging Bulk Package (IBP) bottles have been demonstrated to reduce contrast waste in adult hospitals, lower computed tomography (CT) volumes and smaller contrast doses pose challenges for utilizing IBP in children’s hospitals.</p> Objective <p>Primary outcome: quantification of CT contrast waste during a 6-month period at a single children’s hospital.</p> <p>Secondary outcomes: quantification of single-use product waste and greenhouse gas emissions, identification of the 12-h periods of highest contrast use, and estimation of reductions in contrast waste, single-use product use, costs, and greenhouse gas emissions by using IBP ICM during peak hours.</p> Materials and methods <p>All contrast-enhanced CT performed from January through June 2025 were reviewed. Volume of contrast wasted was calculated. The 12-h time period with the highest contrast-enhanced CT volume was determined. Reductions in contrast waste, single-use products, cost, and greenhouse gas emissions by using IBP ICM during these peak hours were estimated.</p> Results <p>Approximately 291 contrast-enhanced CT exams were performed per month. Mean contrast waste was 37&#xa0;mL per study, totaling 66 L of wasted contrast over 6&#xa0;months. Peak hours were 9 AM to 9 PM on weekdays. The mean ICM waste per exam was 37&#xa0;mL using single-dose bottles versus 17&#xa0;mL using IBP bottles during peak hours (<i>P</i>&lt;0.001). Using IBP ICM during peak hours and single-use ICM at other times could reduce contrast waste by 56%, glass bottle waste by 33%, and save $40,740 per year. Using IBP during peak hours with a syringeless contrast injector would decrease greenhouse gas emissions by 72% due to added benefits of decreased waste of single-use plastics.</p> Conclusion <p>Implementing IBP ICM during peak hours would substantially reduce contrast waste, single-use product waste, and costs at our hospital. Other children’s hospitals may evaluate their contrast utilization practices, including quantification of contrast waste and single-use products, to identify opportunities to reduce waste through use of IBP and syringeless contrast injectors.</p>

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Reduction of iodinated contrast waste, cost, and greenhouse gas emissions using imaging bulk packaging in a pediatric hospital

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年5月18日

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  • Sakura M. Noda,
  • Matthew J. Eckelman,
  • Pauline Porter,
  • Jaime Dyba,
  • Ramesh S. Iyer,
  • Grace S. Phillips,
  • Helen H. R. Kim

摘要

Background

There are environmental and financial benefits to reducing iodinated contrast media (ICM) waste. While Imaging Bulk Package (IBP) bottles have been demonstrated to reduce contrast waste in adult hospitals, lower computed tomography (CT) volumes and smaller contrast doses pose challenges for utilizing IBP in children’s hospitals.

Objective

Primary outcome: quantification of CT contrast waste during a 6-month period at a single children’s hospital.

Secondary outcomes: quantification of single-use product waste and greenhouse gas emissions, identification of the 12-h periods of highest contrast use, and estimation of reductions in contrast waste, single-use product use, costs, and greenhouse gas emissions by using IBP ICM during peak hours.

Materials and methods

All contrast-enhanced CT performed from January through June 2025 were reviewed. Volume of contrast wasted was calculated. The 12-h time period with the highest contrast-enhanced CT volume was determined. Reductions in contrast waste, single-use products, cost, and greenhouse gas emissions by using IBP ICM during these peak hours were estimated.

Results

Approximately 291 contrast-enhanced CT exams were performed per month. Mean contrast waste was 37 mL per study, totaling 66 L of wasted contrast over 6 months. Peak hours were 9 AM to 9 PM on weekdays. The mean ICM waste per exam was 37 mL using single-dose bottles versus 17 mL using IBP bottles during peak hours (P<0.001). Using IBP ICM during peak hours and single-use ICM at other times could reduce contrast waste by 56%, glass bottle waste by 33%, and save $40,740 per year. Using IBP during peak hours with a syringeless contrast injector would decrease greenhouse gas emissions by 72% due to added benefits of decreased waste of single-use plastics.

Conclusion

Implementing IBP ICM during peak hours would substantially reduce contrast waste, single-use product waste, and costs at our hospital. Other children’s hospitals may evaluate their contrast utilization practices, including quantification of contrast waste and single-use products, to identify opportunities to reduce waste through use of IBP and syringeless contrast injectors.