Evaluation of the Bacteriological risk of solid Medical and Pharmaceutical waste from a Moroccan Hospital Center

Abstract

Medical and pharmaceutical waste (MPW) pose a big problem in society and at the healthcare centers because they cause a bacteriological risk in the living being and the environment. Morocco, since 1991, has developed a legal arsenal on medical and pharmaceutical waste. In order to identify pathogens at the level of hospital waste, and to assess their treatment system, this study was carried out at a Moroccan hospital center. The analysis of the samples was performed at the medical biology laboratory of the same hospital. Eleven samples were done at four care units, including two at the internal storage room before treating waste with an ECODAX T300 type mill, and two after treatment from the ground material and leachate. Before crushing 63.6% (7/11) of the samples gave positive cultures. The presence of pathogenic microorganisms such as (Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas stuzerie and Pseudomonas fluorescens) have been identified and their sensitivity to antibiotics has also been determined. After the grinding cycle, the microbiological characterization of the samples on ground material and leachate revealed 100% of bacterial presence, the microorganisms (Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae) were identified. The results show that hospital waste encloses multi-resistant pathogenic bacteria before and after their treatment, which raises a big question mark on the quality and effectiveness of the treatment of MPW.