Fri November 1, 2019

Patients are likely to notice the noise and size of a magnetic imaging machine (MRI), but not the plastics that are vital to its operation. For well over 70 years, plastics have become the dominant material in the medical field for patient care, innovation, safety and affordability. Different medical procedures and treatments require different types of materials. So suggesting the use of one material rather than another—without understanding how each specific material is chosen in each specific medical application—does a disservice to patients and to the healthcare sector as a whole.

There are reasons why a specific material is used in certain healthcare applications. The task of healthcare workers—particularly during emergency situations—is to save a patient’s life.

We were approached by a reporter from National Geographic to comment on ways plastic use in hospitals can be reduced. The answer is quite simple: medical professionals choose the material that works best for each patients’ needs.

Read the entire PERCspective here.