BIO MEDICAL MANAGEMENT

BY A. SWAROOPA
MSC(NURSING)
DEFINITION:
Bio hazardous waste is that waste that is
capable of producing an infectious disease in
humans and includes at a minimum blood,
body fluids, discarded sharps, inoculated
culture media, tissues and slides.
Bio-Medical Waste, means any waste, which
generated during the diagnosis, treatment or
immunization of human being or animals or in
research activities and is governed by the
Bio-Medical Waste (Management and
Handling) Rules, 1998.
BIOHAZARDOUSWASTE INCLUDES THE
FOLLOWING CATEGORIES:

Blood and body fluids

infectious Sharps waste
Laboratory waste
Medical sharps
Some isolation waste
Some animal waste
Blood and Body Fluids Includes:

1. Blood/Blood Products
•Serum,
•Plasma
•Other blood components
2. Body Fluids
•Semen
•Vaginal secretions
•Cerebrospinal fluid
•Pleural fluid
•Peritoneal fluid
•Pericardial fluid
•Amniotic fluid
•Any other body fluid visibly
contaminated with blood

3. Does NOT Include

•Urine, unless visible blood is present
•Feces, unless visible blood is present
•Vomit, unless visible blood is present
SOURCES OF HEALTH CARE WASTE:
•Private hospitals
•Nursing homes
•Physician offices, clinics
•Dental clinics
•Dispensaries PHC
•Medical research and training centers
•Mortuaries
•Blood banks and collection centers
•Slaughter houses
•Vaccine centers
•Biotechnological and industrial production units
GROUP AT RISK:

Doctors, nurses, health care auxiliary

Hospital maintenances personnel
Visitors
Laundries waste handling
Landfills/ incinerators
OVERVIEW OF HEALTHCARE WASTE
MANAGEMENT:

•Sharps:
Needles, infusions sets, Scalpels, knives, blades
•Waste with high heavy metal content:
Batteries, broken thermometers, Blood pressure
gauges
•Pathological waste:
Body parts, blood & other fluids
•Chemical waste:
Lab reagents, Disinfectants, solvents
•Infectious waste:
Lab Cultures, waste from isolation wards,
tissues, etc.
•Pharmaceutical Waste:
Expired or no longer needed
pharmaceuticals.
•Genotoxic waste:
Cytotoxic drugs, geno toxic chemical.
•Pressurized containers:
Gas cylinders, Cartridges & aerosol cans.
 HEALTH HAZARDS OF
HOSPITAL WAST
i. PROLIFERATION OF RODENTS
ii. BREEDING OF FLIES AND INSECTS
iii. AIR POLLUTION
iv. LAND POLLUTION
v. WATER POLLUTION
vi. TRANSMISSION OF INFECTIONS LIKE
HIV, HEPATITIS-B, OTHER MICROBES
vii. BAD ODOUR
TREATMENT TECHNOLOGIES:
1. INCINERATION

High temperature and dry oxidation process that

reduces organic and combustible waste to
inorganic and incombustible matter and results
in significant reduction in waste volume and
weights
☺Double-chamber pyro lytic incinerators
specially designed to burn infectious health-care
waste
☺Single-chamber furnaces
with static grate, used only if pyro lytic incinerators
are not affordable

☺Rotary kilns operating at high temperature,

capable of causing decomposition of geno toxic
substances and heat-resistant chemicals.
2. DISINFECTION

Chemical disinfection: used for treating liquid

waste by adding chemicals.
Thermal disinfection: generally used for
treating solid waste
3. STERILIZATION

Steam sterilization: autoclave

used to disinfect waste.

Microwave irradiation:

(2450 MH3 wave length 12.24 m ) water is

heated with waste and then infectious
component is destroyed by heat conduction.
4. LANDFILL OR LAND DISPOSAL
Open dumps: not recommended.
Sanitary landfills: Disposing of certain types of
health-care waste (infectious waste and small
quantities of pharmaceutical waste) in sanitary
landfills is acceptable.
5. INERTIZATION:
Mixing waste with cement and other
substances before disposal.

65% pharmaceutical work

15% lime
15% cement
5% waters
BIO MEDICAL WASTE MANAGEMENT IN INDIA

Vials , broken
Glasses,
Needles,
Surgical
blades,
Scalpels,
Ampoules &
Lancets
Yellow: incineration or deep burn.
Red: autoclaving, microwaving, chemical
treatment.
Blue: destruction.
Black: disposal in secured land filling.
HANDLING OF BIOHAZARDOUS WASTE
1.GENERATION,
2.WASTE SEGREGATION,
3.COLLECTION
4.TRANSPORTATION,
5.STORAGE,
6.END TREATMENT OR DISPOSAL
 ROLE OF NURSE IN BIOMEDICAL
WASTE MANAGEMENT
oREGULAR VISIT TO ALL WARDS AND HIGH RISK
UNITS.
oENSURING THAT SAMPLES (BLOOD, STOOL, URINE
ETC) ARE COLLECTED AND DISPOSE SAFELY.
oMONITORING AND SUPERVISING THE STAFF
WEATHER THEY ARE DOING SAFE DISPOSAL OF
WASTEAS COLOUR CODED.
oPREVENTION OF HOSPITAL ACQUIRED INFECTIONS
BY FOLLOWING UNIVERSAL PRECAUTIONS.
 ROLE OF NURSE IN BIOMEDICAL
WASTE MANAGEMENT

• USE PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT WHILE

HANDLING WASTE.

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 ROLE OF NURSE IN BIOMEDICAL
WASTE MANAGEMENT

• Avoid needle stick injuries.

• Collect waste when the bin is 3/4th full.
• Avoid using common lift to move waste.
• Avoid spillage.
• Clean spills with disinfectant.

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 PRECUTIONS TAKEN DUURING BIO
MEDICAL WASTE MANAGEMENT
1)Never overload
bins used for
storing Bio
Medical Waste

2)General waste
to be put in
black container.
3)Display the Bio-Hazardous Symbol and the
types of waste to be put in each container as
per Schedule
4)Never 5)Do not inhale
transfer sharps chemicals
directly from directly. Use
person to always mask
person