HCW MANAGEMENT Flashcards
_____ of wastes generated by health
care activities on average are
non-hazardous.
10% to 25%
is considered hazardous and
may be infectious, toxic, or radioactive
0.5 kg of
hazardous waste per hospital bed
per day
High-income countries :
: 0.2 kg on
average
Low-income countries
Philippine hospitals:
average of 0.34 kg of
infectious sharps and
pathological wastes
- 0.39 kg of general wastes
per bed per day.
HEALTH CARE WASTE GENERATIONS
Health care facilities, institutions, business
establishments, and other spaces where
health care services are offered with
activities or work processes that generate
health care waste
Examples of health care waste generation
ex. Hospitals and Medical Centers, Infirmaries, Institutions,
Mortuary and autopay centers, Drug manufacturers, Laboratory
and research centers, Health related facilities, Clinics, and Birthing homes
CATEGORIES OF HEALTHCARE WASTES
●Infectious waste
● Pathological and anatomical waste
● Sharps
● Chemical waste
● Pharmaceutical waste
● Radioactive waste
● Non-hazardous or general waste
contain pathogens or toxins in sufficient concentration that may cause disease to a susceptible host
INFECTIOUS WASTE
INFECTIOUS WASTE ex
discarded microbial
cultures
liquid wastes with
infections such as:
blood
urine
vomitus other body secretions
solid wastes with infections such as:
dressings
sputum cups
urine containers
blood bags
food wastes (liquid or solid) coming from patients with highly infectious diseases
PATHOLOGICAL AND ANATOMICAL WASTE
Tissue sections and body fluids or organs derived from biopsies, autopsies, or surgical procedures sent to the laboratory for examination
PATHOLOGICAL AND ANATOMICAL WASTE ex
include internal organs and
tissues used for histopathological examinations.
Anatomical waste is a subgroup of pathological waste like recognizable body parts usually from amputation procedures
SHARPS
waste items that can cause cuts, pricks, or puncture wounds.
SHARPS ex
example
used syringes in phlebotomy
.blood lancets
surgical knives,
broken glassware
considered the most dangerous health care waste because of their potential to cause both injury and infection
sharps
generated during disinfection and sterilization procedure also includes wastes with high content of heavy metals and their derivatives
CHEMICAL WASTE
CHEMICAL WASTE EXAMPLES
example
laboratory reagents,
X-ray film developing solutions
disinfectants and soaking solutions,
used batteries
concentrated ammonia solutions
concentrated hydrogen peroxide,
Chlorine
mercury from broken thermometers and sphygmomanometers
expired, spilt, and contaminated
pharmaceutical products, drugs, and
vaccines including discarded . medicine
bottle items used in handling
pharmaceuticals. It includes
antineoplastic, cytotoxic, and genotoxic
wastes such as drugs used in oncology or
radiotherapy
PHARMACEUTICAL WASTE
PHARMACEUTICAL WASTE EXAMPLES
example
● Empty drug vials
● medicine bottle
● containers of cytotoxic drugs including materials used
for their preparation and administration such as
syringes, needles, and vials
wastes exposed to radionuclides including:
- radioactive diagnostic materials or
radiotherapeutic materials
- residues from shipment of
radioactive materials
- unwanted solutions intended for
diagnostic or therapeutic use
- liquids, gases, and solids that have
genotoxic effects
RADIOACTIVE WASTE
RADIOACTIVE WASTE EXAMPLES
● cobalt (Co 90)
● technetium (99 Tc)
● iodine (131 1)
● iridium (192 Ir)
● irradiated blood products and contaminated waste,
patient’s excretion, and all materials used by patients
exposed to radionuclides within 48 hours
wastes that have not been in contact with
communicable or infectious agents,
hazardous chemicals, or radioactive
substances, and do not pose a hazard
NON-HAZARDOUS OR GENERAL WASTE
GENERAL WASTE EXAMPLES
example
● Recyclable wastes
● Biodegradable health care wastes
● Non-recyclable/non-biodegradable health care wastes
Recyclable wastes
● paper products
● aluminum
● pressurized gas containers
● plastic products
● wood
● electronic devices
Biodegradable health care wastes
● left-over food from non-infectious
patients
● garden wastes
Non-recyclable/non-biodegradable health
care
● that cannot be classified into either of
the first two categories
Modern incinerators:
850°C to 1,100°C
fitted with special gas cleaning
equipment (to comply with the
international emission standards for
dioxins and furans)
Alternatives to incineration:
Autoclaving
- Microwaving
- steam treatment integrated with
internal mixing
Health care facilities should be know the laws
and regulations regarding waste disposal as
to:
generation
- collection
- storage
- transport
- treatment
- disposal
The Montreal Protocol on Substances that
Deplete the Ozone Layer
1987
It sets the final objective of the Protocol to
eliminate ozone depleting substances in the
environment
Basel Convention on the Control of the
Transboundary Movements of The
infectious Wastes and Their Disposal
1989
● concerned with the transboundary
movements of hazardous waste
It sets the final objective of the Protocol to
eliminate ozone depleting substances in the
environment
The Montreal Protocol on Substances that
Deplete the Ozone Layer
WHAT YEAR IS THE Basel Convention on the Control of the
Transboundary Movements of The
infectious Wastes and Their Disposal
1989
legally non-binding pledge that by the year
2000, major industrialized nations would
voluntarily reduce their greenhouse gas
emissions to 1990 levels
The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
1992
The Stockholm Convention on Persistent
Organic Pollutants
● 2001
● is a global treaty to protect human health and
the environment from persistent organic
pollutants (POPs) pops are chemicals that (1)
remain unchanged in the environment for
long periods of time; (2) accumulate in the
fatty tissues of living organisms; and (3) are
toxic to both humans and wildlife
global treaty to protect human health and
the environment from persistent organic
pollutants (POPs) pops are chemicals that (1)
remain unchanged in the environment for
long periods of time; (2) accumulate in the
fatty tissues of living organisms; and (3) are
toxic to both humans and wildlife
The Stockholm Convention on Persistent
Organic Pollutants
2001
provides nine high level protocols that set out
generic standards to be put into place for the
implementation of an international transit
system Dangerous Goods which provides
provisions on the transport of toxic and
infectious substances
The ASEAN Framework Agreement on the
Facilitation of Goods in Transit
1998
● requires the registration and licensure of all
hospitals in the country
● mandates the DOH to provide guidelines for
hospital technical standards as to personnel,
equipment, and physical facilities
RA No. 4226
“Hospital Licensure Act” (1965)
“An Act to Control Substances and
Hazardous and Nuclear Wastes” (1990)
RA NO. 6969
● requires the registration of waste generators,
waste transporters, and operators of toxic and
hazardous waste treatment facilities with the
EMB.
● waste generators are required to ensure that
their hazardous wastes are properly collected,
transported, treated, and disposed in a
sanitary landfill
