Weegy: Medical waste can be further divided into the following categories:
!
Infectious waste (lab cultures, wastes from isolation wards, tissues, used dressings)
!
Pathological waste (body parts, human foetuses, placentas, blood, [ other body fluids)
!
Pharmaceutical waste (unwanted drugs, expired drugs)
!
Chemical waste (chemicals from diagnostic work, cleaning materials)
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Sharps (needles, blades and broken glass)
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Radioactive waste (radioactive substances from radiotherapy and lab work)
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Pressurised containers (gas cylinders, cartridges and aerosol cans)
!
High heavy metal content (batteries, broken thermometers, blood pressure gauges)
In most emergency situations the predominant types of medical waste are infectious waste,
pathological waste and sharps. These may be used as categories for segregation, but this will
depend on the technologies selected for the final disposal of different waste types (see 8.5).
8.2 Associated risks
General, non-clinical, waste poses the same hazards as general solid waste (Chapter 7), but
medical or clinical waste poses significantly increased hazards. The most obvious of these is
the transmission of infectious diseases (e.g. Hepatitis B and HIV) through direct contact with
infected waste items such as used needles, discarded dressings and human tissues or fluids.
Waste with high
heavy metal content
Pressurized Containers
Pathological Waste
Pharmaceutical Waste
Sharps
Clinical Waste
Radioactive Waste
Chemical Waste
Infectious Waste
Genotoxic Waste
HEALTHCARE WASTE
Non Clinical Waste
10 - 25%
75 - 90%
Figure 8.1. Categories of waste from medical centres
WASTE MANAGEMENT AT MEDICAL CENTRES
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