Sharps waste
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Sharps waste is a form of biomedical waste composed of used "sharps", which includes any device or object used to puncture or lacerate the skin. Sharps waste is classified as biohazardous waste and must be carefully handled. Common medical materials treated as sharps waste are
Qualifying materials
In addition to needles and blades, anything attached to them, such as syringes and injection devices, is also considered sharps waste.
Blades can include
Glass items which have been contaminated with a biohazardous material are treated with the same concern as needles and blades, even if unbroken. If glass is contaminated, it is still often treated as a sharp, because it can break during the disposal process. Contaminated plastic items which are not sharp can be disposed of in a biohazardous waste receptacle instead of a sharps container.
Dangers involved
Injuries from sharps waste can pose a large public health concern, as used sharps may contain biohazardous material. It is possible for this waste to spread blood-borne pathogens if contaminated sharps penetrate the skin. The spread of these pathogens is directly responsible for the transmission of blood-borne diseases, such as hepatitis B (HBV), hepatitis C (HCV), and HIV. Health care professionals expose themselves to the risk of transmission of these diseases when handling sharps waste. The large volume handled by health care professionals on a daily basis increases the chance that an injury may occur.
The general public can occasionally be at risk of sustaining injuries from sharps waste as well when hypodermic needles are improperly disposed of by injection drug users.
Sharps containers
Hard plastic containers known as sharps containers are used to safely dispose of hypodermic needles and other sharp medical instruments, such as IV catheters and disposable scalpels. They are often sealable and self-locking, as well as rigid, which prevents waste from penetrating or damaging the sides of the container. In the United States, sharps containers are usually red and marked with the universal biohazard symbol for ease of recognition. Elsewhere, they are often yellow. Waste is loaded into the container until it reaches a certain height, which is usually around three-quarters of the way full. At that point, the container is emptied or disposed of.
Sharps containers may be single use, in which case they are disposed of along with the waste they contain, or reusable, in which case they are robotically emptied and sterilized before being returned for re-use. Airports and large institutions commonly have sharps containers available in restrooms for safe disposal for users of injection drugs, such as insulin-dependent
Disposal of sharps waste
Extreme care must be taken in the
Disposal methods vary by country and locale, but common methods of disposal are either by truck service or, in the
A report by the Canadian Mental Health Association found that supervised injection sites help reduce the amount of discarded needles on streets.[2]
Injection technology
With more than sixteen billion injections administered annually worldwide,[3] needles are the largest contributor to sharps waste. For this reason, many new technologies surrounding injections have been developed, mostly related to safety mechanisms. As these technologies have been developed, governments have attempted to make them commonplace to ensure sharps waste safety. In 2000, the Needlestick Safety and Prevention Act was passed, along with the 2001 Bloodborne Pathogens Standard.[4]
In the developing world
Sharps waste is of great concern in
The infrastructure of developing regions is not equipped to deal with this large volume of contaminated sharps waste. Contrary to the industrialized world, disposal incinerators and transportation networks are not always available. Cost restraints make the purchase of single use disposable containers unrealistic. Facilities are often overwhelmed with patients and understaffed with educated workers. Demand on these facilities can limit the emphasis or enforcement of waste disposal protocols. These factors leave a dangerous quantity of sharps waste in the environment. Contrasts between the industrialized and developing world segment can be seen in accidental needle stick injuries. These occur at a rate of .18 to .74 per person per year in industrialized nations and .93 to 4.68 per person per year in developing and transitional nations (Hutin, Hauri, Armstrong, 2003).[citation needed]
Improper sharps management is a major factor involved in what is categorized as unsafe injections. Annually these account for 21 million, 2 million, and 260,000 of new HBV, HCV, and HIV infections annually.[7] 40-65% of new HBV and HCV infections are due to percutaneous occupational exposure.[8]
Further reading
- Kotwal, Atul (March 2005). "Innovation, diffusion and safety of a medical technology: a review of the literature on injection practices". Social Science & Medicine. 60 (5): 1133–1147. PMID 15589680.
References
- ^ "Metal Recycling Solutions". Sharpsmart. 2017-09-13. Retrieved 2019-06-11.
- ^ MacLean, Cameron (18 April 2018). "Supervised injection site needed for drug users in Manitoba: Canadian Mental Health Association report". CBC News. Retrieved 1 December 2021.
- ^ "Proposed Agenda to Evaluate the Risks and Benefits Associated with Using Needle-Removing Devices" (PDF). 2004. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2006-05-25.
- ^ Jagger, J.; De Carli, G.; Perry, J.; Puro, V.; Ippolito, G. (2003). "Chapter 31: Occupational Exposure to Bloodborne Pathogens: Epidemiology and Prevention. Prevention and Control of Nosocomial Infections". ResearchGate (4th ed.). Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
- ^ PMID 10593026.)
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: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link - ^ Needle Remover Harner, C. (2004, October). Needle Remover Device Design Transfer Package. Retrieved September 7, 2005.
- PMID 12764494.)
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: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link - ^ Prüss-Üstün, A; Rapiti, E; Hutin, Y (2003). Sharps injuries: global burden of disease from sharps injuries to health-care workers. WHO Environmental Burden of Disease Series. Vol. 3. Geneva: World Health Organization. Archived from the original on June 27, 2004.