Medical Waste – Are They As Dangerous As They Seem?
12/26/2022
According to the World Health Organization, about 15% of waste generated from health care activities pose a danger to humans and the environment. The risk is very diverse. It can range from a bacterial threat to chemical to radioactive to ecological.
Infectious materials such as human tissues, infected blood or body parts can be the carrier of diseases and spread them to other patients, the employees and the entire community at large. This can also involve drug-resistant pathogens from healthcare facilities and become particularly problematic.
Sharp objects from medical waste can also cause injuries. Those scavenging on waste disposal sites, which is common in low-income countries, are especially at risk of sustaining sharps-related injuries.
This danger started increasing due to the rapid pace of evolution that the industry is seeing. With patients getting more aggressive procedures and new technologies being created, doctors are given more opportunities to perform diagnostics and treatment. This in turn results in more instruments and consumables becoming more likely to come into contact with not just human blood but other fluids as well.
Healthcare facilities and the public have also started using disposable medical devices such as syringes, gloves, masks and PPEs more. Not to mention the rapid development of radiology and pharmacology. This only means that the amount of plastic, radiological and chemical waste is increasing.
Don’t forget that a disposable tool also counts as a huge amount of waste and can prove harmful to others.
Infectious materials such as human tissues, infected blood or body parts can be the carrier of diseases and spread them to other patients, the employees and the entire community at large. This can also involve drug-resistant pathogens from healthcare facilities and become particularly problematic.
Sharp objects from medical waste can also cause injuries. Those scavenging on waste disposal sites, which is common in low-income countries, are especially at risk of sustaining sharps-related injuries.
This danger started increasing due to the rapid pace of evolution that the industry is seeing. With patients getting more aggressive procedures and new technologies being created, doctors are given more opportunities to perform diagnostics and treatment. This in turn results in more instruments and consumables becoming more likely to come into contact with not just human blood but other fluids as well.
Healthcare facilities and the public have also started using disposable medical devices such as syringes, gloves, masks and PPEs more. Not to mention the rapid development of radiology and pharmacology. This only means that the amount of plastic, radiological and chemical waste is increasing.
Don’t forget that a disposable tool also counts as a huge amount of waste and can prove harmful to others.