What Makes Up Infectious Waste & How To Dispose Of It
Disposal of medical waste requires following strict procedures and practices so that
there is no risk of infection to the surrounding people and patients. What makes up infectious waste, and the proper ways to dispose of it in several situations is discussed below.
Many unwanted biological products that are highly infectious in nature are referred to as medical wastes, or clinical wastes. These wastes must be disposed properly. Otherwise, they are a huge potential threat to the health and environment.
Hospitals, laboratories, research centers and other medical facilities are big generators of medical waste. Experts further classify medical waste into infectious waste and bio-hazardous waste. In this article, we are focusing on infectious wastes.
Infectious wastes can easily spread any disease virally and can even pose a danger to life. A list of these is included below.
* Cultures and stocks of infectious agents, including discarded live and attenuated vaccines and culture dishes, and devices used to transfer, inoculate, and mix cultures.
* Pathological wastes which include body tissues and parts.
* Blood (both human and animal blood, both in liquid and dry form) can constitute infectious waste.
* Blood components including serum, plasma and their containers used during testing, research, analysis, and treatment are also considered infectious.
* Intravenous bags are included in the infectious waste category.
* Used and unused sharps, used on humans and animals for testing and treatment. These include hypodermic needles, syringes, scalpel blades, blood vials, needles with attached tubing and culture dishes.
* Used slides and cover slips are also considered infectious.
* Contaminated animal carcasses and bedding of animals.
* Any other waste that got mixed with the above including paper products, plastic products, and disposables, are also forms of infectious waste.
The list above includes the most prominent infectious wastes generated from places like research labs or medical facilities. But there can be other items that are termed infectious wastes, as well. You must always refer to your local government or health regulatory body to know their detailed classification of infectious wastes.
To prevent the spread of infection among the handlers of the waste and the people that surround them, effective medical waste disposal is of paramount importance.
Waste management in any research or medical facility should receive adequate attention at every level. With good housekeeping and best practices followed by lab technicians, doctors, nurses and other healthcare workers, infection spread can be reduced to a great extent. One must follow the right and recommended medical waste disposal techniques to avoid any risks involved with improper handling.
There are many benefits of proper infectious waste disposal. Some of them are:
* The risk of microbes is reduced and a healthy atmosphere is ensured.
* The risk of infection to staff, visitors, patients and other people is minimized greatly.
* There are no unpleasant sights and bad odors in the healthcare facility.
* The environment is safer, as ground water and soil are not contaminated by waste seepage.
* The chance of animals coming across medical waste is also reduced, and insects and pests can be better controlled as well.
Those handling medical waste must be very careful during their routine duties so that they do not fall prey to any infections. They must be given the right safety gear, as well as clear instructions about how to deal with infectious wastes. Staff members who dispose the medical wastes must be well trained and they must be supervised by a qualified and experienced supervisor.
In addition, keep infectious waste storage areas well protected from unauthorized entry. All these tips, plus the use of quality
infectious waste bags will ensure completely safe disposal of the waste.
by: MedBag Team
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