Save 50% – 305-677-2343!

What Types of Medical Waste are Out There?

One of the most important regulations referring in any way to medical waste management Davie is the Medical Waste Tracking Act (MWTA) from 1988. According to it, any solid waste that is created during diagnosis, treatment or immunization of human patients or animals, in research, production or testing of biologicals is considered as medical waste.

The biggest producers of medical waste and the most responsible to make sure that medical waste management Davie is performed correctly in their facilities are hospitals, clinics, veterinary hospitals and clinics, dental offices, nursery homes and doctor’s offices.

Types of Medical Waste

Albeit there are several ways to classify it for the purpose of medical waste removal, perhaps the best classification is the one that separates clinical waste into five types:

  • Blood, blood products and other human or animal fluids
  • Microbiological wastes (cultures and stocks)
  • Sharps
  • Pathological waste
  • Contaminated medical supplies and equipment

Liquid Waste

Human and animal blood and blood products are probably the most obvious type of waste coming from hospitals and other kinds of medical care facilities. These are also often called liquid or even fluid medical wastes. Apart from blood, other blood products, such as plasma and body fluids like semen, urine, saliva, vaginal secretion and cerebrospinal fluid also belong in this category and have to be properly disposed of.

When it comes to animal blood and fluids, it should be noted that not all of needs to be considered for medical waste removal, but only those liquids that have infectious agents that can be transmuted to humans.

Since liquids cannot be incinerated or autoclaved, they need to be sterilized with a special chemical solution and then disposed of in a sanitary sewage system. If the healthcare provider does not have one of those, they should contact a licensed medical waste management Davie agency, which will dispose of liquids in their own facility.

Microbiological Waste

Microbiological wastes are cultures and stocks of infectious agents. This includes: discarded cultures, mix cultures, inoculated cultures, culture dishes, specimens, lie vaccines, attenuated vaccines and stocks. Microbiological waste can contain bacteria and other organisms that are harmful to people.

Sharps

Sharps are a category that often requires the most attention in medical waste removal. This is because instruments such as needles and scalpels are not only capable of cutting or piercing the skin, but can also contain blood-born viruses such as Hepatitis C and B and even HIV virus.

To make sure that sharps are not mixed with other waste, you should purchase some sharps containers from your medical waste management Davie service provider.

Pathological Waste

Pathological wastes are human organs, amputated body parts, tissue and body fluids removed during surgery or autopsy. Animal waste is only considered pathological if the animal has been exposed in any way to a pathogens that can spread to humans.

Contaminated Medical Supplies and Equipment

Any medical supplies, apart from sharps that have been in contact with blood, blood products, body fluids or some other kind of medical waste is also a candidate for medical waste removal. This includes items such as gauze, latex gloves, cotton balls. Items such as surgical tools, hospital sheets, blankets or table cloths are considered medical waste, but only until they are cleaned using state-approved chemicals, which can also be procured from the medical waste management Davie company in your area.