Biological risk among hospital housekeepers

Ream, Priscilla Santos Ferreira; Tipple, Anaclara Ferreira Veiga; Barros, Dayane Xavier de; Souza, Adenícia Custódia Silva e; Pereira, Milca Severino

doi:10.1080/19338244.2014.927347

Cited by 19 publications

(22 citation statements)

References 39 publications

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“…This has been demonstrated among handlers of medical waste, pickers of solid waste and those living in the neighborhood of dumping sites. Prevalence of Hepatitis B and C virus infection is much higher in groups exposed to waste compared to the general population [14, 39, 43]. …”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Exposure to solid waste may occur right from the point where the waste is generated [39]. A good example is the medical waste.…”

Section: Exposure To Solid Wastementioning

confidence: 99%

“…A good example is the medical waste. Medical personnel and hospital housekeeping staff are at higher risk of exposure to waste and infection from biological waste [39, 40]. While medical waste requires stringent management, it is not uncommon to find medical waste being handled like household waste [36].…”

Section: Exposure To Solid Wastementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Sharp used medical equipment such as needles and scalpels are supposed to be disposed of in a safe “sharps “container but this is not always followed. Needle stick injuries from misplaced used needles are a common occurrence among health care providers [39]. Additionally, other than penetrating injuries or cuts, medical waste and contaminated surfaces may have contain highly infectious microbial agents such as ebola virus and hepatitis B & C virus which can be transmitted to exposed workers [41, 42].…”

Section: Exposure To Solid Wastementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Hepatitis B infection is a common infection often transmitted through skin cuts, mucous membranes, needles stick injures and contaminated surfaces [39, 41, 43]. Although it is recommended that all used and disposable sharp equipment should be discarded in a sharps containers, these are often not available resulting into many health personnel getting needle stick injuries.…”

Section: Health Impacts Of Exposure To Solid Wastementioning

confidence: 99%

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A review and framework for understanding the potential impact of poor solid waste management on health in developing countries

2016

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BackgroundThe increase in solid waste generated per capita in Africa has not been accompanied by a commensurate growth in the capacity and funding to manage it. It is reported that less than 30% of urban waste in developing countries is collected and disposed appropriately. The implications of poorly managed waste on health are numerous and depend on the nature of the waste, individuals exposed, duration of exposure and availability of interventions for those exposed.ObjectiveTo present a framework for understanding the linkages between poor solid waste management, exposure and associated adverse health outcomes. The framework will aid understanding of the relationships, interlinkages and identification of the potential points for intervention.MethodsDevelopment of the framework was informed by a review of literature on solid waste management policies, practices and its impact on health in developing countries. A configurative synthesis of literature was applied to develop the framework. Several iterations of the framework were reviewed by experts in the field. Each linkage and outcomes are described in detail as outputs of this study.ResultThe resulting framework identifies groups of people at a heightened risk of exposure and the potential health consequences. Using the iceberg metaphor, the framework illustrates the pathways and potential burden of ill-health related to solid waste that is hidden but rapidly unfolding with our inaction. The existing evidence on the linkage between poor solid waste management and adverse health outcomes calls to action by all stakeholders in understanding, prioritizing, and addressing the issue of solid waste in our midst to ensure that our environment and health are preserved.ConclusionA resulting framework developed in this study presents a clearer picture of the linkages between poor solid waste management and could guide research, policy and action.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Exposure to solid waste may occur right from the point where the waste is generated [39]. A good example is the medical waste.…”

Section: Exposure To Solid Wastementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Exposure To Solid Wastementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Exposure To Solid Wastementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Health Impacts Of Exposure To Solid Wastementioning

confidence: 99%

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A review and framework for understanding the potential impact of poor solid waste management on health in developing countries

2016

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What Would It Mean for Health Care Organizations to Justly Manage Their Waste?

Silva

Thiel

2022

AMA Journal of Ethics

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Waste generated by health care includes harmful emissions and often disproportionately affects already vulnerable communities. Justly restructuring health care waste management involves better understanding key drivers of waste production, using sustainability as an ethical value to guide disposal decisions and practices, and reducing overall disposal quantity. Restructuring can be facilitated by making existing waste audit data transparent, incorporating waste accounting into social responsibility metrics used to evaluate health care organizational performance, and implementing policies that prioritize frontline workers' safety.The American Medical Association designates this journal-based CME activity for a maximum of 1 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ available through the AMA Ed Hub TM . Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity. CasePrior to the COVID-19 pandemic, US hospitals produced 29 pounds of waste per bed per day-over 14 000 tons of waste per day. 1 Increasing numbers of clinicians, trainees, and students in a regional university academic health center have anonymously reported (via a hotline maintained by the organization's risk managers) inappropriate disposal of recyclable items, common refuse items, and red bag items (ie, medical waste, hazardous waste). Many students have also noted that applying disinfectant, donning personal protective equipment (eg, masks, gloves, gowns), and using high-volumes of water to thoroughly wash their hands and arms (colloquially known as "scrubbing in") is wasteful when they are seeming sufficiently distant from a sterile field protecting a surgical patient in an operating theater.Health care organizations pay to decontaminate red bag waste to make it safe for disposal (ie, by microwave or steam sterilization, chemical disinfection, or other processes) and must comply with federal, state, and local regulations about how disposal is done. 2,3 Some hotline reporters have noted that incorrect placement of recyclable or municipal waste in red bags incurs unnecessary costs to organizations and that processing (primary) red waste generates (secondary) air-and waterborne emissions that inequitably influence health outcomes in minoritized communities;

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