Poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) is the most widely used polymer in today's healthcare market. It is still the polymer of choice for single use presterilised medical devices after more than 50 years of service and it continues to dominate in cost-performance terms. PVC has key properties which have encouraged increased consumption year on year, despite adverse media coverage relating to possible health and environmental effects. Attempts have been made to displace PVC, particularly with the development of new polymeric materials prepared using metallocene catalysts. This book examines the role of PVC in healthcare in detail and includes the following sections:.; Global market size, composition, value and future trends; Benefits of PVC for healthcare; Composition and property profile for flexible and rigid PVC compounds; Toxicology, biocompatibility and regulatory status of PVC medical compounds; PVC medical device application fields; Processing and fabrication; Sterilisation of PVC based medical devices; Environmental issues - real and perceived; Recent advances in PVC medical compound technology; Key barriers to PVC replacement. The author, Colin Blass of Polytec Innovations Limited, has many years of experience of working with PVC. In his role as Honorary Lecturer at Strathclyde University, he has produced several papers on the subject of leaching of plasticisers from PVC, and plasticiser substitution. In this book he ably describes the pros and cons of PVC in its application in healthcare. This book will prove to be a mine of useful and practical information for healthcare professionals, medical device manufacturers and medical polymer producers. A short bibliography provides access to further sources of information.