BUMEDINST 6280.1B Flashcards
MANAGEMENT OF REGULATED MEDICAL WASTE
What guide is used to govern shipboard medical personnel for afloat practices regarding Regulated Medical Waste (RMW)?
The current Afloat Medical Waste Management Guide.
What are the two classifications of medical waste?
Non-RMW or RMW.
Describe Non-RMW.
Solid material intended for disposal, produced as a direct result of patient treatment, diagnosis, or therapy.
Give an example of Non-RMW.
Soiled dressings, bandages containing very small amounts of blood or other body fluids, disposable catheters, swabs, used disposable drapes, gowns, masks, and empty used specimen containers/urine cups.
How is Non-RMW disposed of?
Requires no further treatment and is disposed of as general waste/trash.
Describe RMW.
Generated during diagnosis, treatment, or illununization of humans or animals and is capable of causing disease or would pose other adverse health risks to individuals
or the community if improperly handled.
How many groups is RMW organized into?
Nine groups based on associated risks.
Any medical wastes originating from medical isolation rooms and/or sanitary napkins
originating from post partum suites or gynecological surgical wards are handled as what?
Regulated Medical Waste
Other Potentially Infectious Materials are?
The following human body fluids; semen, vaginal secretions, cerebrospinal fluid,
synovial fluid, pleural fluid, pericardial fluid, peritoneal fluid, amniotic fluid, saliva in dental procedures.
Other Potentially Infectious Materials continued are?
HIV, HBV, and any unfixed tissue or organ (other than intact skin) from a human (living or dead).
What are the nine groups of RMW?
Group (1) Cultures, Stocks, and Vaccines. (2) Pathological Waste (3) Blood & Blood Products (4 and 7) Sharps
At what point is RMW separated from other waste?
At the point of origin.
Line containers with plastic bags of what sufficient thickness?
Typically 3 millimeters
What disposal method should never be used when discarding needles?
Never clip, cut, bend or recap needles.
RMW should never be transported in what way?
RMW should never be transported in chutes or dumbwaiters.
Anatomical pathology waste is placed in what containers?
Double-wall corrugated boxes or rigid containers double-lined with plastic bags for transport.
How must pathological waste be stored?
Refrigerated or frozen in dedicated cold storage unites.
Storage of non-pathological RMW shall not exceed how many days?
7 days
Frozen storage of RMW
(applies only to pathological wastes) shall not exceed how many day
30 days
Treatment and disposal of RMW is achieved by what means?
Incineration, or through inactivation by heat, chemicals, or radiation.
Federal regulations require facilities maintain shipping
paperwork/manifests for how many years after RMW was accepted by waste carrier?
2 years
What information is kept on file by the facility system for tracking?
Date, type of waste, amount, (weight, volume, or number of containers) and disposition.
When should employees with occupational exposure to RMW receive training?
Prior to beginning work, and at least annually thereafter. Training must be provided at no cost to the employee and during working hours.
Steam sterilization requires temperatures of at least what temp and duration, and gauge pressure to be effective?
121° C (250° F) for at least 90 minutes at15 pounds
per square inch of gauge pressure
