What is “medical waste” or “potentially infectious” material?
The Medical Waste Tracking Act of 1988 broadly defined medical waste as any solid waste that is generated in the diagnosis, treatment, or immunization of human beings or animals. It excluded
hazardous waste and household waste. Specifically, the law stated that medical waste included, but was not limited to, the following:
- Items that are freely dripping liquid or semi-liquid blood or "potentially infectious materials" or could readily release infectious materials if compressed
- Items containing dried blood or "potentially infectious materials" that could release flakes if compressed or otherwise handled
- Human blood and blood products, including serum, plasma, and blood components
- Hemodialysis waste of all items that were in contact with the patient’s blood (tubing, filters, towels, gloves, aprons, lab coats) and any other contaminated disposable equipment)*
- Human or animal isolation wastes (blood, excretion, exudates, secretions, and items contaminated with these) from humans or animals that have been isolated to protect others from communicable diseases*
- Sharps waste
- Surgery or autopsy tissue, organs, or body parts (eg, adenoids, appendix, tonsils, amputated digits, hands, feet, arms or legs), also known as pathological wastes
- Surgical and autopsy wastes (eg, soiled dressings, sponges, drapes, lavage tubes, drainage sets, underpads, and surgical gloves) that were in contact with infectious agents*
- Cultures or stocks of any virus, bacterium or other organism including discarded live attenuated vaccines and the items used to transfer, inoculate or mix cultures
- Tissues, organs, body parts, bedding, carcasses, and body fluids from experimental animals that were exposed to infectious agents
- Teeth in dentistry
- Laboratory wastes that have been in contact with infectious wastes, including gloves, coats and aprons*
- Discarded medical equipment and its components that have been in contact with infectious agents*
- Any other discarded item or waste that an administrator believes poses a threat to human health or the environment
Potentially infectious body fluids (see next FAQ)
But she was too curious for her own good.
