Medical/ Health care waste management

Incineration

- High temperature dry oxidation process •Converts - Organic/combustible wastes - inorganic, incombustible matter Commonest method used for infectious waste disposal Disadvantages - expensive and causes environmental damage ( pollution ) • Wastes Not to be incinerated -Pressurized gas containers, reactive chemicals, Silver salts, photographic/radiographic wastes - Explosive materials - Halogenated plastics (PVC), sealed ampoules, Hg, Cd containing wastes...

Pressurized containers-

- gas cylinders, aerosol cans..

Non hazardous

General hospital waste- is categorized as items not soaked in blood or body fluids for e.gs administrative, kitchen, packaging...etc

Cytotoxic wastes-

Genotoxic properties - drugs in cancer therapy and other chemicals

HEALTH HAZARDS

Infectious wastes & sharps -HIV, Hepatitis B & C, resistant bacteria ... •Chemical & pharmaceutical - toxic, genotoxic, corrosive ,flammable -burns and injuries •Radioactive -acute and chronic effects •Public sensitivity - visual impact and foul smell •Source of pollution

MICROWAVE IRRADIATION

Microwaves -2450 MHz, 12.24 nm •Heat the water in the wastes-infectious matter are destroyed by heat conduction.m

INERTIZATION

Mixing of wastes with cement &other substances before disposal thereby reducing the risk of toxic wastes contaminating the soil/ water. • Mixing Proportions - 65% pharmaceutical wastes + 15% lime + 15% cement + 5 % water form of pellets & cubes

Recommendations

Prevent & minimize waste production Reuse/ recycle General wastes to max extent Treat wastes by safe & environmentally sound methods Dispose final residue by land fill in confined sites.

LAND DISPOSAL

Sanitary landfill - Geological isolation of wastes Applying engineering measures to prepare the site Organized deposits Daily coverage of wastes

Medical waste disposal

These methods, which are often combined with shredding and compacting •Reduce the volumes of wastes •Render the medical wastes non‐infectious • Managed as municipality waste & disposed of in sanitary landfills

Handling

Wear appropriate PPE- gloves , gowns... Discard all waste generated in your area into the appropriate bin. Wash hands after handling- Hand hygiene

WET & DRY THERMAL treatmentg

Wet thermal treatment (Autoclave)- Steam disinfection Exposure of infectious wastes to high temperatures & high pressure steam. -Used for highly infectious wastes & Sharps Screw feed technology -non burn Dry thermal disinfection process. Wastes- shredded & heated in a rotating auger -used to treat sharps & infectious wastes. -Not suitable for pathological, radioactive and cytotoxic wastes.

Red bags

a. Use to transport body parts, organs, or fetuses for burial.

BLACK Bags /Bins

a. Used to dispose of general hospital waste. •b. Items that would not release (drip) blood or other potentially infectious materials. •d. Laboratory solid waste, not included in the infectious waste category

Chemical W -

chemical substances - reagents, disinfectants... Heavy metal W - thermometers, bp gauges..

CHEMICAL DISINFECTION

chlorine compounds (bleach) - kill / inactivate pathogens •Treat - •liquid wastes - blood, urine, stools/ hospital sewage •Sharps To disinfect liquid waste, create a 10% concentration of household bleach in the liquid waste.

YELLOW bags

dispose of Infectious waste. •b. Containers with blood/body fluids that cannot be emptied. •c. All microbiological waste •d. Items moderately or heavily soaked (dripping) in blood or body fluids. •e. Chemotherapy waste. •Place infectious waste in the appropriate designated container, lined with yellow disposal bags.

Pharmaceutical Wastes-

expired drugs , medications...

Health care /Medical waste

includes all the waste generated within health-care facilities, research centres and laboratories related to medical procedures.

Bio-Medical waste

is any waste generated in the diagnosis, treatment, or immunization of human beings/ animals, in relevant research, or in the production or testing of biological matter.

Infectious waste

is defined as materials generated as a result of the diagnosis or treatment of a patient and that is capable of producing an infectious disease. further categorized as: a. Blood and blood products: b. Pathology waste: human or animal tissues c. Microbiological cultures and microbiological waste: d. Sharps: needles, scalpels, blades, broken glass. e. Contaminated items: items that would release blood or other potentially infectious materials in a liquid or semi-liquid state if compressed. f. Contaminated animal carcasses, body parts, and bedding.

Waste segregation -

must be followed at the point of generation(i.e., by the end user). •Colour coding - Different color coding has to be assigned to various waste for effective segregation

Radioactive W

radionuclides

Hazardous wastes

~Infectious waste •Pharmaceutical waste •Radioactive waste •Chemical waste •Pressurized containers

Internal storage

•Minimize the storage time ( <24 hrs) •Limit access to storage areas and have a biohazard symbol posted such that it is readily visible to anyone. •Dispose of & treat infectious waste as soon as possible after generation •Waste containers used ,should be as per guidelines

SHARPS - Yellow containers

•a. Used to dispose all needles, scalpels, pipettes, syringes, and glass items. •b. Do not disassemble blades or needles from equipment. Replace the sharps container promptly when the sharps container is ¾ filled (and reaches the fill line).