Discarded wound dressing is destroyed in the hospital by?

ESIC Nursing Officer 2016 (Shift -2)

Applied Microbiology & Infection control

Easy

Appeared in: ESIC Nursing Officer 2016 (Shift -2)

Explanation

Discarded wound dressings are contaminated with blood and body fluids, classifying them as 'Soiled Waste' under the Yellow Category of Biomedical Waste (BMW) Management rules.
The primary and most effective method for destroying this type of infectious waste is incineration, which involves burning at very high temperatures.
Incineration ensures the complete destruction of harmful pathogens and significantly reduces the volume of waste, converting it to sterile ash.

Option A: Open dumping of biomedical waste is illegal and extremely hazardous, as it leads to the spread of infections in the community and contaminates the environment.
Option B: Autoclaving is a sterilization method, not a destruction method. It is used for waste in the Red (plastics) and White (sharps) categories to make them safe for shredding and recycling or disposal.
Option C: Direct disposal of infectious biomedical waste in a landfill is prohibited. Only general, non-infectious hospital waste or the sterile ash from incineration can be sent to a sanitary landfill.

Visual 1: Infographic: A chart showing the different color-coded bins used for biomedical waste segregation (Yellow, Red, White, Blue), with examples of waste items for each bin.
Visual 2: Flowchart: A diagram illustrating the complete process for Yellow Category waste, from segregation at the source, collection, transport, to final destruction by incineration.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: Knowing Biomedical Waste (BMW) Management Guidelines helps nurses interpret findings accurately and avoid errors in routine assessment, medication administration, and patient teaching.
Proper disposal of biomedical waste is a critical nursing responsibility to prevent nosocomial (hospital-acquired) infections and protect healthcare workers, patients, and the general community from infectious diseases.
Adherence to BMW guidelines is a legal requirement in India, and non-compliance can lead to penalties for the healthcare facility.
What if the item was a used glass vial for a medication? In that case, it would be disposed of in the Blue container for disinfection and autoclaving before recycling or disposal.

How to Approach the Question

First, identify the type of waste mentioned in the question: 'discarded wound dressing'.
Recognize that a used wound dressing is contaminated with body fluids, making it infectious waste.
Recall the Biomedical Waste (BMW) Management guidelines and the specific category for this type of waste. Soiled dressings fall under the Yellow Category.
Finally, recall the designated treatment method for the Yellow Category, which is incineration. Evaluate the given options and select the one that matches this method.

Concept Tested & Keywords

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