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Poly Vinyl Chloride (PVC) has been used for over 40 years to make a wide variety of medical devices. Only a few are shown. |
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In healthcare, what is the most important: cost or safety? |
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Blood transfusion kits "Artificial skin" for burns victims Catheters and tubing. Heart an lung bypass machines
Sterile wall and floors in operating theatres. Kidney dialysis machinces.
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| Flexible PVC and Phthalates
Many medical products require the PVC to be flexible. Things like blood transfusion bags, tubing and surgical gloves are made flexible by the addition of plasticisers to the PVC. A common plasticiser is Di (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate - called DEHP. Some groups have fears over the safety of this compound and its addition to PVC for medical use. The following section examines both sides of the argument. |
