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One of the most important Miramar medical waste management acts, the Medical Waste Tracking Act, which was introduced back in 1988, defines medical waste as “any solid waste that is generated in the diagnosis, treatment, or immunization of human beings or animals, in research pertaining thereto, or in the production or testing of biological matter. According to this definition, medical waste includes human or animal body parts, blood-soiled bandages, used sharps, diagnostic materials, lab equipment and any other item deemed to be contaminated by blood.
Biologics
The most common used method for medical waste disposal is by far incineration. However, in recent years, a number of new, and in some ways better medical waste management Miramar methods have emerged and are by know seriously threatening incineration (albeit it is still firmly at the top as the number one). One such method of treating medical waste is chemical disinfection. This method is often used when it is necessary to disinfect body parts, although larger body parts (for example a leg or a torso) entire animal carcasses could first be shredded in order to conserve space.
Another often used method of treating medical wastes is using designated landfill. For this method, special precautions must be taken in order to ensure that the soil or groundwaters do not get in contact with medical waste and that it is well beyond reach of animals and scavengers.
Sharps
Sharps waste includes needles, scalpels, syringes, scissors and other medical instruments used to cut or pierce the human skin during surgical or other treatment procedures. Due to their ability to inflict an physical injury to a person handling this type of waste, but also the ability to infect the same person with any number of blood-borne diseases, most notably HIV, it is important that sharps are put into special “sharps boxes” or containers immediately after their use.
Sharps, however, are often not destroyed after use. Instead, they might also be sterilized with hot steam using a machine called an autoclave and reused or recycled.
Alternative Methods of Medical Waste Disposal
Certain medical waste, such as glassware or sharps, as well as biomedical waste containers can be recycled. This, however, requires a lengthy sterilization process. By disinfecting and sterilizing used medical instruments, a health care facility with lower income can save much money on funds. One of the most notable examples of this is organ donation. If the person is a donor, his or her organs can be transplanted to another person who needs them.
What are the Biggest Risks Associated with Medical Waste Management?
A number of state and federal guidelines have been created to help with the safe medical waste disposal, but these guidelines are only as effective as the person or persons observing them. A tinniest human error is capable or producing a very serious situation to the health of the general population and the environment. For instance, proper treatment of Miramar medical wastes is often neglected and this could lead to catastrophic consequences if it is infectious waste in question.
