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28-Sep-2019
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Arch Hellen Med, 37(5), September-October 2019, 682-686 SPECIAL ARTICLE Medical waste in healthcare facilities A. Bilali,1 P. Galanis2 |
Medical waste management is a significant challenge for healthcare facilities, as the amount of medical waste has increased considerably over time and its disposal has become more difficult and costly. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), medical waste is classified as waste that is generated in the diagnosis, treatment or immunization of human beings or animals. More simply, medical waste is the waste that is generated in healthcare facilities. Inappropriate management of medical waste increases the risk of infection and injuries among healthcare professionals, and the risk of spread of micro-organisms from healthcare facilities into the environment. The WHO classifies medical waste into the following eight categories: General or non-hazardous waste, infectious waste, sharps waste, pathological waste, chemical waste, pharmaceutical waste, cytotoxic waste and radioactive waste. Of all the medical waste, 75–90% is similar to household waste and should be collected, recycled and disposed of in the same way as the community municipal waste, while 10–25% of medical waste is hazardous to health. The quantity and composition of medical waste produced in healthcare facilities depend on several factors, including the type of patients, the level of health care, the length of stay, the size of the healthcare facility, the number of procedures, the level of recycling, etc. Medical waste management includes the following three steps: (a) Collection in the healthcare facility, (b) transport to the disposal site, and (c) final treatment and disposal. The handling of medical waste entails risks for healthcare professionals and primary preventive measures should be taken, which include the following: (a) Hazards elimination, (b) technical prevention, (c) organizational prevention and (d) individual prevention. The choice of the appropriate measures depends on the activity that the healthcare professionals are involved in.
Key words: Healthcare professionals, Infectious waste, Medical waste, Waste management.
