LECTURE 1
Introduction to the Management of Infectious
Materials/Waste
Amjad Khan Afridi

What is Infectious Medical Waste
Infectious Medical Waste is defined as medical waste
capable of producing an infectious disease.
Waste is considered Infectious when it is:
• Contaminated by an organism that is pathogenic to healthy humans;
• The organism is not routinely available in the environment; and
• The organism is in significant quantity and virulence to transmit
disease.

Infectious Wastes Specifically Are;
1. Blood and blood products in a free flowing, unabsorbed
state;
2. Contaminated sharps,
3. Isolation Wastes,
4. Laboratory wastes, and
5. Unfixed pathological tissues

Infectious Laboratory Wastes
• Cultures
• Etiological agents (those
microorganisms and microbial
toxins that cause disease in humans)
• Specimens
• Stocks
• Related contaminated wastes
• Vaccine vials
• Gowns
• Cotton/gloves contaminated with
body fluid
• Masks

Pathological Wastes
• Pathological materials are often infectious and require specific
procedures to ensure safe disposal.
• Fixed Pathological wastes are not Infectious Medical Waste
• Unfixed Pathological wastes must be incinerated
• wastes containing pathological items must be appropriately labeled to
ensure they are incinerated

Infectious Isolation Wastes
• Wastes generated from the care of a patient who has or is suspected of
having a disease caused by a CDC Class 4 agent, listed below
1. Smallpox is caused by the Variola virus (VARV). There are two forms of
the virus.
The more dangerous form, variola major, led to smallpox disease that killed about
30% of people who were infected.
Variola minor caused a less deadly type that killed about 1% of those who got it.
2. Monkey pox begins with fever, headache, muscle aches, and fatigue.
The main difference between symptoms of smallpox and monkeypox is
that monkeypox causes lymph nodes to swell (lymphadenopathy) while
smallpox does not.

Cont…
3. Hemorrhagic fever agents, including Crimean hemorrhagic fever (Congo), Junin,
and Machupo viruses. They affect many organs, damage the blood vessels, and they
affect the body's ability to regulate itself.
4. Lassa virus also known as Lassa hemorrhagic fever (LHF), is a type
of viral hemorrhagic fever. Many of those infected by the virus do not develop
symptoms. When symptoms occur they typically include fever, weakness,
headaches, vomiting, and muscle pains.
5. Marburg virus an acute, often fatal, form of haemorrhagic fever. It is caused by a
filovirus ( Marburg virus ) which normally lives in African monkeys.

Other Potentially Infectious Material (OPIM)
• Any body fluid with visible blood
1. Cerebrospinal fluid is clear, colorless liquid that fills and surrounds the brain
and the spinal cord and provides a mechanical barrier against shock
2. Pericardial fluid is excess fluid between the heart and the sac surrounding the
heart, known as the pericardium
3. Peritoneal fluid is a liquid made in the abdominal cavity which lubricates the
surface of tissue that lines the abdominal wall and pelvic cavity

Cont…
4. Pleural fluid is an unusual amount of fluid around the lung
5. Saliva in dental procedures
6. Synovial fluid Synovial fluid is produced in the spaces between certain
joints to help reduce friction and facilitate movement between articular
cartilages
Anywhere body fluids are indistinguishable

Infectious Wastes Do Not Include
•Human remains and body parts being used for medical
purposes, under the control of a licensed doctor or dentist
•Human remains lawfully interred in a cemetery or in
preparation for interment (material that has
been disposed of in the ground but is not as large or
regulated as a landfill. A good portion of waste materials
can break down in the ground but some can be harmful).
Hair, nails, and extracted teeth

Collection of Infectious Waste
• Infectious medical wastes must be collected at the point of generation in
the appropriate color coded bags
1. Orange bags for autoclaved waste, 2. Red bags for all other treatment
methods
• Biohazard bags must be labeled with the international biohazard symbol
and appropriate wording; “biohazard,” “biomedical waste,” “infectious
medical waste,” or “regulated medical waste”

Sharps
 Must be collected at the point of generation, in a leak-proof and
puncture-resistant container
 Containers must bear the international biohazard symbol and
appropriate wording
 Containers should never be completely
filled, nor filled above the full line
indicated on box.

Liquid Infectious Medical Wastes

Liquid Infectious Medical Wastes
1.Autoclaving. The process of
autoclaving involves steam
sterilization.
2.Incineration. The major benefits of
incineration are that it is quick, easy,
and simple.
3.Chemicals. When it comes to liquid
waste, a common biomedical waste
disposal method can be chemical
disinfection.
4. Microwaving.
Liquid Infectious Medical Waste, i.e., the contents of
suction canisters, may be disposed of in several ways:

Packaging and Storage
Wastes shall be collected in a lined, cardboard box or reusable plastic
container that is labeled with the biohazard symbol and appropriate
wording.
• Once the box or container is full, the bag lining it must be sealed and
the container then sealed locked
• Boxes must be labeled with facility name, address, phone and fax
numbers, and the date
• A full, sealed container can be stored on site for no more than 30 days

Shipping and Manifests
Every load of waste shipped off-site for destruction is tracked using a
manifest system
• The manifest is a multiple copy document that accompanies the waste to
the treatment facility
• Every individual who takes possession of the waste, including someone
from your facility, must sign the manifest
• As the waste generator is responsible for the waste until we receive the
proof-of-destruction copy of the manifest

Over Classification
•The improper disposal of solid wastes that do not meet the
definition of infectious medical waste, as if they were
infectious
•It is the most commonly cited violation, with 98% of
permitted facilities being marked

Routinely Over Classified Items
• Paper towels
• Unsaturated dressings and chucks
• Wrappers and packaging
• IV bags and oxygen tubing
• Gloves with no visible contamination
• Urine catheters and bags
• Paper, newspapers, and food containers
• Urine cups and specimen containers with
no visible blood
• Empty Medication vials and broken glass

•When you mix infectious waste and
regular solid waste together, you are not
permitted to separate them
 Once combined,
the entire
contents are
considered
infectious waste!

Be a Professional
21/03/2023