7 Types of Medical Waste Generated in Hospitals for a Medical Waste Management Company to Collect
Medical waste can be a small plaster, a needle, a scalpel used in surgery, or a bandage. There’s little that doesn’t come under the broad banner of ‘medical waste’ because it’s essentially any medical supply that’s been used and is no longer needed. Usually, a readily disposable type as well. Management of medical waste is highly essential, and whilst an outsourced company is beneficial, it is also important to utilize technology such as medical waste management software to keep on top of compliance through training employees on what they need to do and how they can keep themselves and others safe.
Waste Collected by a Medical Waste Management Company
Here are 7 types of medical waste that hospitals tend to generate.
Plasters
Plasters to cover over a wound after it’s been treated are one of the most common items that a medical waste management company handles.
They will be contaminated from covering a cleaned, disinfected, and sewn up a wound that may sweep or bleed a little during the treatment process.
Dressing Bandages
Changing a dressing including replacing the plaster and adding bandages to hold a covering in place is necessary with larger wounds.
Because it’s needed to cover the area and secure the medical cover in place to avoid potential infections, bandages often have extended padding to absorb body excretions and wraps around a leg, arm, or another body part.
Needles
Needles sometimes referred to as ‘sharps’ are one of the most dangerous for anyone to be near to.
They may hold remnants of the medication given to a patient. But because they’ve been used to inject a patient, they may also have been contaminated by them too. Coming into contact with a used needle accidentally can lead to contracting the same infection as the patient had at the same.
Using special sharps containers instead of red bags is best to prevent anyone accidentally getting stuck with a used needle.
Human Blood and Related Products
Blood repositories provide screened blood sources for patients who have lost a considerable amount in a violent attack or accident and need to get it replaced ASAP.
Once the bag containing a compatible blood type match has been used, it needs to be disposed of safely. This is one of the riskier types of medical waste and must be treated with care. Leaks are difficult to clean up and pose a potential hazard too.
Pharmaceutical Waste
The pharmacy at a hospital may also create a certain amount of waste.
While this could be disposable medical waste, it can specifically be pills and other items. They could have accidentally fallen on the floor or popped out of their packet, were potentially contaminated, and needed to be disposed of.
Bedding
Bedding is often washed, disinfected, and reused. But that depends on the type of care being provided.
In many cases, the patient was sufficiently sick that the hospital cannot risk reusing the bedding. As such, it becomes necessary to safely dispose of potentially contaminated bedding to get it off the premises and to be destroyed.
Human Tissue
Human tissue is classed as medical waste and needs to be safely disposed of.
Many types of medical waste need to be stored safely, collected carefully, and eventually destroyed to ensure healthcare facilities remain sterile and safe for workers and patients alike. It’s an essential part of the cycle to maintaining a best-in-class medical facility.