DRAGON
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Multicentre non-inferiority cluster randomised trial testing disposable versus reusable drapes and gowns for green operating theatres
IRAS ID
330822
Contact name
Aneel Bhangu
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Birmingham
Duration of Study in the UK
3 years, 11 months, 30 days
Research summary
What is the rationale behind our study?
Our study focuses on the environmental impact of NHS Trust operating theatres. Operating theatres are 3-5x more energy-intensive to run than clinical wards. They also generate 50-70% of the hospital’s solid waste.
What do we want to do?
We want to find out if there are ways of lowering NHS Trust operating theatres’ solid waste without compromising patient safety. To do this, we will compare the impact of using disposable (single use) surgical drapes and gowns versus that of reusable ones in reducing surgical infections. Gowns are protective garments used by nurses and doctors during the operation while drapes are used to cover the patient being operated on. Disposable drapes and gowns are known to have a higher carbon footprint compared to reusable ones. However, there is little evidence to help clinicians determine the better option. Both of disposable and reusable drapes and gowns are commonly used in the UK and worldwide.
How will we achieve this?
We will run a study to test whether reusable surgical drapes and gowns are just as good as disposable ones at preventing surgical infections. We will also look at the carbon footprint and cost of using each in different NHS Trusts. Since implementing a change in the type of surgical drapes and gowns used involves making system-wide changes, requiring cooperation from multiple hospital departments, we will obtain blanket consent from participating hospitals on behalf of patients. No consent will be obtained from individual patients. During the project, data on patient infections after surgery will be monitored. If at any point there is a significantly worse outcome in either group, the study may be paused or stopped to ensure that no patients are adversely impacted.
REC name
East of England - Cambridge Central Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
24/EE/0105
Date of REC Opinion
21 Jun 2024
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion