As per BMW management and according to WHO, infected cotton sponge is discarded into which colour-coded bag?

Appeared in: Combined AIIMS - 2020 (Jodhpur, Bhopal, Patna, Raipur)

Explanation

According to the Bio-Medical Waste Management Rules, 2016, waste contaminated with blood and body fluids is categorized as 'Soiled Waste'.
An infected cotton sponge falls directly into the category of soiled waste.
The designated color code for the collection of soiled waste is a yellow-colored, non-chlorinated plastic bag.
The primary treatment and disposal method for waste collected in yellow bags is incineration or plasma pyrolysis to ensure complete destruction of infectious agents.

Option B: Red bags are reserved for contaminated but recyclable waste, primarily plastics.
Option C: Black bags are used for general, non-infectious, non-hazardous waste, similar to household trash.
Option D: Blue containers (typically cardboard boxes) are designated for waste glassware and metallic body implants.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Bio-Medical Waste (BMW) Management and Segregation as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
Proper waste segregation is a fundamental and legal responsibility in nursing practice to prevent nosocomial (hospital-acquired) infections and protect the community from biohazards.
Incorrect disposal can lead to penalties for the healthcare facility and pose a significant health risk to sanitation workers and the public.
What if the cotton was only used with a non-biological substance like cleaning alcohol on a surface? If the cotton is not contaminated with blood or body fluids, it could be considered general waste and disposed of in a black bag. The key determinant is contamination with infectious material.

How to Approach the Question

First, identify the key item in the question: 'infected cotton sponge'.
Recognize that 'infected' implies contamination with biological material like blood, pus, or other body fluids.
Recall the standard Bio-Medical Waste (BMW) color-coding system.
Categorize the item. An infected cotton sponge is 'Soiled Waste'.
Match the waste category ('Soiled Waste') to its corresponding color-coded bag, which is Yellow.
Eliminate other options by recalling what they are used for (Red for plastics, Blue for glass, Black for general waste).

Concept Tested & Keywords

Concept Tested: Bio-Medical Waste (BMW) Management and Segregation
Stem keywords: BMW management, WHO, infected cotton sponge, discarded, colour-coded bag
Lead-in keywords: which
Negative lead-in flag: false

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E6 Parks TextBook of Preventive & Social Medicine part 2 — Subpart B (pp 233-449 of 464) p. 109-111

E6 Nursing Fundamentals Taylor p. 180-182

E6 Microbiology OneStop Sastry p. 53-55

Practise the full Combined AIIMS - 2020 (Jodhpur, Bhopal, Patna, Raipur)

Attempt every question from this paper in a timed mock, then review the full solution for each one.