[Classification of disposable medical plastics and search for alternatives without polyvinyl chloride in the Hospital Virgen de las Nieves (Granada, Spain)].

Objectives: To identify and classify disposable hospital products containing polyvinyl chloride (PVC), including the search and evaluation of cost-effective sustainable alternative products free of PVC.
Methods: A descriptive observational analysis was performed, after classifying the latest research in major databases, and disposable products that could contain PVC. These were divided into 5 groups: cannulas, catheters, tubes, bags, and equipment, purchased in the period 2008-2009, differentiating between the technical and economic assessment of the materials.
Results: In the analysis of the composition of 492 articles selected, 234 (47.5%) contained PVC, and 19.4% were considered PVC-free alternatives, with only 11.3% of these being economically viable.
Conclusions: This study highlights the advantages of the classification of PVC products, by showing that safe and efficient alternatives exist for some product lines that are consistent with patient safety and quality in the work by doctors.
(Copyright © 2011 SECA. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.)