Health Care Waste Management Flashcards
According to WHO/UNICEF 2015: Only 24 countries had adequate systems in place for the safe disposal of health care wastes
true
Facts on Health Care Waste (WHO)
__% generated non-hazardous wastes
75-90%
Facts on Health Care Waste (WHO)
___% Considered hazardous and may be infectious, toxic, or radioactive
10-25%
0.5 kg hazardous wastes per hospital bed per day
High-income countries
0.2 kg hazardous wastes per hospital bed per day
Low-income countries
Facts on Health Care Waste (Philippines)
____% - Hazardous health care wastes
30.37%
Facts on Health Care Waste (Philippines)
____% - general wastes
69.63%
Philippines hospitals (per hospital bed per day)
____kg infectious sharps and pathological wastes
0.34kg
Philippines hospitals (per hospital bed per day)
____kg general wastes
0.39kg
Health Care Waste Generators
Hospitals and medical centers
Infirmaries
Birthing homes
Drug manufacturers
Mortuary and autopsy centers
Clinics and other health-related facilities
Laboratories and research centers
Institutions
All wastes suspected to contain pathogens or toxins in sufficient concentration that may cause disease to a susceptible host
Infectious Wastes
Includes discarded materials or equipments used for diagnosis, treatment, and management of patients with infectious diseases.
Infectious wastes
Tissue sections and body fluids or organs derived from biopsies, autopsies, or surgical procedures sent to the laboratory for examination.
Pathological and Anatomical Waste
Subgroup referring to recognizable body parts usually from amputation procedures
Anatomic waste
Waste items that can cause cuts, pricks, or puncture wounds.
It is considered the MOST DANGEROUS health care waste because of their potential to cause both injury and infection
Sharps
Discarded chemicals generated during disinfections and sterilization procedures
Includes wastes with high content of heavy metals and their derivatives
Chemical Wastes
Chemical are considered hazardous when they are:
Toxic - with health and environmental hazards
Corrosive - acid of pH <2.0 and bases of pH >12.0
Flammable - with a flash point below 60*C
Reactive - explosive with water
Expired, split, and contaminated pharmaceutical products, drugs, and vaccines including discarded items used in handling pharmaceuticals
Pharmaceutical Waste
Wastes exposed to radionuclides including radioactive diagnostic materials or radiotherapeutic materials
Radioactive Waste
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/general Waste
Who are being exposed in health care wastes?
Medical staff, in-patients, out-patients, visitors, etc etc
Short periods in large quantities
Acute exposure
Prolonged periods in minute quantities
Chronic Exposure
Adverse Health Outcomes such as
Sharp-inflicted injuries
Toxic exposure to pharmaceutical products
Antibiotics and cytotoxic drugs
Mercury and dioxins
Chemical burns
Air pollution
Thermal injuries
Radiation burns
May lead to blood-transmissible diseases
May be released to the surrounding during the handling or incineration of these wastes
From disinfection, sterilization, or waste treatment activities
Release of particulate matter during medical waste incineration
In conjunction with open burning and the operation of medical waste incinerators
Waste in landfills can lead to the contamination of drinking, surface, and ground waters if not properly constructed
true
When incinerated, Chlorine generates what?
Dioxins and furans - CARCINOGENIC