Due to the nature of the work done in many healthcare facilities, the workers come in regular contact with many toxic items. While healthcare workers are typically trained and skilled at keeping themselves safe while using potentially harmful items, disposing of those items safely can be a bit tricky.
The first and most important effect of improper biomedical waste disposal is on the well-being of the people exposed to it. Everyone involved in the waste production and disposal process can suffer as a result of poor management. The people most at risk include nurses, medical doctors, patients, healthcare auxiliaries, maintenance staff, support personnel, and the people who handle the disposal themselves.
These health problems typically arise as a result of pathogens, chemicals, or radioactive waste in waste materials that aren’t correctly disposed of. Understanding the consequence of having improper waste disposal, especially on the patients and colleagues, can be a great way to motivate people to improve their handling of waste.
In this article, we’ll be looking at the six most common health-related problems that hospitals and other healthcare facilities face when they fail to dispose of their waste correctly. Here they are:
Parasitic Infections
Most organisms that are classified as parasites thrive in medical waste. When this waste isn’t adequately handled, it results in a high risk of infection. This is especially common in laboratories that test for parasitic infections. Such laboratories are likely to have specimens and cultures that contain these parasites.
An example of an illness that can be caused by a parasitic infection in healthcare facilities is viral meningitis. It’s typically transmitted via direct contact with bodily fluids, including mucus and saliva. It’s a painful infection that triggers inflammation in the membranes around the spinal cord and the brain, and can sometimes be life-threatening.
Lung Infections
Certain diseases are caused by pathogens that can become airborne. When handling patients with those illnesses, special care must be taken to prevent the spread of those kinds of diseases. Airborne pathogens typically present themselves as respiratory infections. Common examples of lung infections include pneumonia, tuberculosis, and influenza.
Perhaps, more relatable is the currently infamous Covid-19 infection that’s the cause of the ongoing global pandemic. It’s caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus and is mainly transmitted by aerosol droplets that become airborne after the infected person coughs or sneezes. The virus has been observed to stay alive for days on some surfaces. If materials used in treating a sick patient isn’t well-discarded, it can result in an infection.
HIV and Hepatitis B and C Viruses
The most significant danger that sharps pose as medical waste is that they can pass viral infections. As sharps are typically used to puncture or lacerate the skin, they have a tendency to be polluted with blood and other bodily fluids, which are carriers of these deadly infections. A single puncture from a contaminated needle or scalpel is enough to infect a person.
According to a study from 2010, unsafe injections were responsible for up to 33 800 new HIV infections, 1.7 million hepatitis B infections, and 315 000 hepatitis C infections globally. These are staggering infection numbers that could have been prevented. Sharps should always be put in sealed containers before they are disposed of. Using the appropriate disposal medium is essential if you want to avoid accidents. For containers built explicitly for the disposal of sharps, check here: https://mailback.medprodisposal.com/
Skin Infections
Skin infections are another possible side effect of exposure to poorly managed waste. These skin infections are caused when pathogens from waste materials enter the skin through the pores or via injuries. In most cases, they lead to localized swellings or mild rashes, but in other cases, they can be more uncomfortable to deal with.
Impetigo is a prevalent skin infection caused by Streptococcus bacteria. It typically results in small red, itchy sores on the body. The spots are usually not painful, but they develop into blisters that produce fluid.
In rare cases, people have become infected with anthrax, a rare and sometimes deadly disease. The bacteria responsible for the disease can penetrate the skin via a cut, and then go on to wreak havoc.
Candidiasis
Staying in the hospital for extended periods can expose patients to pathogens responsible for candidiasis. The common source of a significant amount of these pathogens is from untreated waste. While candidiasis typically presents itself as a mild rash from a fungal infection, the kind found in hospitals is significantly more dangerous.
The pathogen responsible for most candidiasis cases resulting from a prolonged hospital stay is a fungus known as Candida Auris. The pathogen can enter the bloodstream and spread all over the body, even causing sepsis, a kind of blood poisoning. The resulting infection has a mortality rate of around 57%. The highest-risk patients are those that have been hospitalized for a long time or use a venous catheter.
Bacteremia
Bacteria from medical waste can enter into a person’s bloodstream, primarily via sharps. The result of that infection is the condition known as bacteremia. Blood is typically sterile. When bacteria enters the bloodstream, it can infect organs and cause inflammation.
In most cases of bacteremia, the patient can remain asymptomatic, and it resolves itself. However, in some instances, the bacteria in the blood can lead to complications like sepsis. If it’s not spotted in time, the patient’s condition can devolve into septic shock, which has a high mortality rate.
Conclusion
If the health and safety of both employees and patients in a healthcare facility are of utmost importance to the management, then having a facility-wide waste management plan is essential.
Aside from guaranteeing the people’s safety, it helps the organization keep in line with the best practices around. Cases of patient infection as a result of unsatisfactory waste management can lead to messy lawsuits for the organization.
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