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During the congress, E-Posters will be accessible to all participants on the congress website 24/7, as well as in the E-poster stations in the congress center.
Preparing your E-Poster
Please review the E-Poster format requirements carefully when preparing your E-Poster. Should your E-Poster not meet the mentioned requirements, it may not be displayed as described above.
E-Poster Submission Deadline
Please prepare and upload your E-Poster no later than March 14, 2026 11.59PM CET. After this date, you will no longer be able to prepare and upload your E-poster and it will not be displayed and accessible on the congress website.
Please follow the instructions below to input your abstract title.
Abstract titles should be brief and reflect the content of the abstract.
Continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT), including continuous venovenous hemodialysis (CVVHD), remains an essential lifesaving procedure for critically ill patients. However, today we face the need to evaluate such interventions not only for clinical effectiveness but also for their environmental impact. Despite the growing importance of sustainability in healthcare, publications analyzing the environmental cost of CRRT are limited. This study aimed to determine the carbon footprint of a single complete CVVHD procedure based on detailed material data, energy consumption, and water consumption, while excluding factors related to local workflow.
The analysis included the complete set of disposable components used during a 72-hour CVVHD procedure, following the clinical pathway diagram. The mass and material composition of each component were determined based on measurements taken in a hospital setting. Electricity consumption (11.9 kWh) was measured using a validated measuring device, while water consumption was estimated at 2 L per treatment. Emission factors were applied for the main material groups, expressed in kg CO₂e/kg material, including plastics (PP, PE, PVC, PET, PC), paper, stainless steel, and elastomers. Where manufacturer data regarding material composition or carbon footprint was missing, proxy values from environmental databases and industry literature were used. Local factors such as transportation, waste disposal, and the environmental costs of staff labor were omitted from the analysis, considering them highly variable and facility-specific.
The total carbon footprint of a single CVVHD treatment (72 hours) was estimated at approximately 112.9 kg CO₂e. The vast majority of emissions were generated by disposable materials, primarily dialysis and drainage bags, blood sets, and infusion solutions in plastic packaging. The share of electricity was significantly lower, accounting for approximately 6-7% of the total footprint, while the impact of water was negligible.
CVVHD, despite being a clinically critical procedure, generates a significant carbon footprint primarily due to the use of a large number of disposable products. The results highlight the need to implement emission reduction strategies in the material domain - through the design of more efficient sets, reducing packaging volume, introducing lower-emission polymers, and developing recycling systems for medical equipment. The presented analysis is a starting point for further, in-depth research, also covering local aspects, such as disposal and logistics, which may significantly influence the total environmental cost of the therapy. Surprisingly, the carbon footprint of this result is on the order of two to three conventional 4-hour hemodialysis sessions.
