An environmentally friendly alternative to single-use plastics for radiotherapy bladder preparation

• Published in: Technical innovations & patient support in radiation oncology Vol. 18; pp. 29 - 31
• Main Authors: Adair Smith, Gillian, McNair, Helen A., Barnes, Helen
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier B.V 01.06.2021; Elsevier
• Subjects: Short Communications and Technical Notes
• ISSN: 2405-6324; 2405-6324
• DOI: 10.1016/j.tipsro.2021.04.001

•Reusable water bottles reduce the amount of single-use plastic cups used in a radiotherapy department.•Reusable bottles are an effective way of helping patients prepare a full bladder for radiotherapy.•Reusable bottles are a helpful aid for maintaining hydration levels. More than 60,000 plastic cups were used annually for bladder preparation in one radiotherapy centre. As an alternative, patients were provided with a specifically designed reusable water bottle, aiming to reduce waste and improve bladder filling compliance. Cup usage and bladder volume at treatment were calculated pre- and post-implementation. Bladder volume was measured as a percentage of the planned volume and grouped for analysis. Cup usage halved from 12,000 cups to 6000 cups. Percentage of bladder volumes in the optimal group increased from 47% to 54%. The introduction of water bottles reduced plastic cup usage and increased bladder filling compliance.