The Management And Treatment Of Medical Waste Explained

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Medical waste has become a very delicate subject since it has entered public debate after some incidents regarding inadequate disposal measures. Medical waste treatment and transportation has since than become very strictly regulated thru legislation. Therefore special medical waste equipment has been introduced, and the guidelines regarding the segregation of the different kinds of medical waste have been put in circulation. This segregation has become very important because different types of medical waste have different risk factors for the general public, as well as different ways of treatment.

This segregation must be done at the place where waste is generated, and it falls under the responsibility of the people who produce it, namely doctors, nurses or technicians. If this segregation was to be done after all types of waste have been mixed together than it wouldn’t be of any use because all the waste would have then become contaminated. The different types of medical waste have to be separated in the following categories: general waste, pathological waste, infectious waste, sharps, pharmaceutical waste, chemical waste and radioactive waste.

After the waste is segregated and deposited accordingly within the hospital grounds it needs to be transported to treatment facilities that have specialized equipment that can deal with this sort of waste. The transport should be done in specially designed vehicles that have a fully enclosed body, lined on the inside with aluminum or stainless steel for easy cleaning, and provided with roof vents for ventilation. The driver’s compartment should be completely separated from the body of the vehicle in which the waste material is stored.

After the medical waste has reached the medical waste treatment facilities it undergoes a series of steps that involve reducing the volume of waste, disinfestations, and making the waste unrecognizable for aesthetic reasons. One of the easiest ways for discarding medical waste involves deep burial, but it can only be done for general and pathological waste, and only within the restrictions of the legislation of every country. One of the most efficient ways of medical waste treatment is by autoclave and microwave. For this treatment, special medical waste equipments are necessary. This equipment is subdivided into two main categories, depending on the quantity of medical waste it can treat. Therefore, medium devices have treating capabilities up to 1000 tons of medical waste per year, and are generally used in situ by hospitals, while large devices can handle up to 2500 tons per year, and works in external service providers or large hospitals. The main features of these devices include: No harmful output effects such as water, gases, odors, or radiation; no specialized manpower required; constant monitoring of the efficiency of the decontamination process; complete computer monitoring; and a fine and dry final output that weighs less than input waste. These treatments can be used for all the categories of medical waste except for general and general, pathological, and pharmaceutical waste.

Shredding is another efficient treatment method that is applied to plastic, sharps, and needles, but only after the waste has been decontaminated prior. The most common method used for medical waste treatment is incineration. It applies to all categories of medical waste except for sharps and radioactive. The incineration output has to be strictly monitored and regulated according to local and national legislation. The incinerator ash, as well as discarded medicines or solid chemical waste should be discarded in a secured landfill.

These are just a few of the most popular ways of medical waste treatment. Although medical waste equipment is expensive and not all hospitals have the money to afford them, medical waste management should not be taken likely because the risks are huge.

The author is an expert in the field of medical waste equipment and has a good experience in hospital waste treatment. To know more you can get in touch with Author.. Free reprint available from: The Management And Treatment Of Medical Waste Explained.

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MLA Style Citation:
Mentoiz, Hikioez "The Management And Treatment Of Medical Waste Explained." The Management And Treatment Of Medical Waste Explained. 29 Jan. 2011. uberarticles.com. 8 Apr 2012 <http://uberarticles.com/health-and-fitness/the-management-and-treatment-of-medical-waste-explained/>.

APA Style Citation:
Mentoiz, H (2011, January 29). The Management And Treatment Of Medical Waste Explained. Retrieved April 8, 2012, from http://uberarticles.com/health-and-fitness/the-management-and-treatment-of-medical-waste-explained/

Chicago Style Citation:
Mentoiz, Hikioez "The Management And Treatment Of Medical Waste Explained" uberarticles.com. http://uberarticles.com/health-and-fitness/the-management-and-treatment-of-medical-waste-explained/

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