Hookworm infection and anemia in adult women in rural Chiapas, Mexico ; Contact with hospital syringes containing body fluids. Implications for medicalwaste managemen regulation

Abstract

Objective. To determine amount of syringes used in the hospital and extent of contact with blood and body fluids of these syringes. Material and Methods. Syringe use was surveyed at a tertiary care center for one week; syringes were classified into the following four categories according to use: a) contained blood; b) contained other body fluids (urine, gastric secretion, cerebrospinal fluid, wound drainage); c) used exclusively for drug dilution and application in plastic intravenous (IV) tubes, and d) for intramuscular (IM), subcutaneous (SC), or intradermic (ID) injections. Results. A total of 7 157 plastic disposable syringes was used; 1 227 (17%) contained blood during use, 346 (4.8%), other body fluids, 5 257 (73%) were used exclusively for drug dilution and application in plastic IV lines, and 327 (4.5%) were utilized for IM, SC, or ID injections. An estimated 369 140 syringes used annually, or eight syringes per patient per in-hospital day. All syringes were disposed of as regulated medical waste, in observance of the law. Conclusions. There is an urgent need to review recommendations for medical waste management by both international agencies and local governments, based on scientific data and a costbenefit analysis, to prevent resource waste and further environmental damage. ; Objetivo. Cuantificar el número de jeringas que se utilizan en el hospital y calcular cuántas de éstas entran en contacto con sangre o fluidos corporales. Material y métodos. Se hizo una encuesta del uso de jeringas en un hospital de tercer nivel de atención durante toda una semana. Se clasificaron, de acuerdo con el uso que se les dio, en cuatro categorías: a) aspiración de sangre, b) otros fluidos corporales (orina, secreción gástrica, líquido cefalorraquídeo, drenaje de herida, etcétera), c) uso exclusivo para diluir medicamentos y administrarlos a través de tubos de terapia intravenosa, d) para aplicación de inyecciones intramusculares (IM), subcutáneas (SC) o intradérmicas (ID). Resultados. Se utilizó un total de 7 157 ...