6 things to know contaminated medical instruments

Healthcare providers are exposed to medical waste and contaminated instruments on a daily basis. Appropriate handling, moving and disposal of the contaminated instruments is crucial to maintain compliance and avoid the spread of disease.

Here are six things to know about medical waste and contaminated instruments in a healthcare setting:

1. Most waste generated from healthcare activities is non-hazardous; about 15 percent is hazardous material that may be infectious, toxic or radioactive, according to the World Health Organization.

2. Clinicians administer around 16 billion injections worldwide annually, but in some cases the needles aren't correctly disposed of. The needles — as well as other healthcare waste — may contain harmful microorganisms on the physical object while others contain toxic air pollutants when incinerated.

3. The World Health Organization recommends the following steps to avoid waste-management issues:

• Build a comprehensive system to handle and dispose of waste
• Address every team member's responsibilities
• Allocate resources to effective waste management
• Raise awareness about the risks of handling and disposing of waste
• Select safe and environmentally friendly waste management options

4. Medical waste includes infections waste contaminated by blood and other bodily fluids such as cultures and stocks of infectious agents from lab work; pathological waste such as human tissues and organs; sharps like syringes and needles; chemicals; pharmaceuticals; genotoxic waste; radioactive waste; and general waste.

5. The Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology recommends placing a three-part tag on the equipment to identify the status of cleaning. The tag should include the sections "Clean," "In Use" and "Dirty" and the tag should be perforated so it's easy to switch from one status to the other. When the patient begins using the instrument, the provider tears the "Clean" section off so the bottom reads "In Use"; when the equipment is no longer in use, the provider rips off the second portion so the tag reads "Dirty."

6. Healthcare providers can use personal protective equipment when handling and moving contaminated instruments. The PPE is based on the task performed and should be accessible and properly cleaned. The protection can include masks, safety glasses, gowns and gloves.

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