Safe Disposal of Medical Sharps: An Important Health Concern

 ‘Sharps’ is a medical term used for devices that have sharp points or edges capable of puncturing or cutting skin. They are items necessary for administering medicines or manage medical conditions, including allergies, cancer, diabetes, arthritis, hepatitis, infertility, migraines, HIV/AIDS, multiple sclerosis, blood clotting disorders, osteoporosis, and psoriasis. Used sharps are potentially harmful as well as infectious and hence, it is very important to follow proper techniques of medical sharps disposal to avoid spreading of diseases.

Methods of Medical Sharps Disposal

It is mandatory to dispose of used sharps immediately by placing them in a container designated for sharps disposal. There are a variety of FDA-cleared sharps containers available in the market that can be obtained through medical supply companies, pharmacies, health care providers as well as through online stores.

These medical sharps disposal containers are made with plastic that cannot be easily punctured and have leak-resistant sides as well as the bottom. They also come with a tight-fitting, puncture-resistant lid.

Alternatively, the latest innovative solutions for medical waste disposal are also available in the market. They do not require any separate storage before treating medical sharps. Such products can turn medical waste into sterilized trash that is safe to be disposed of in a garbage can without any hazardous side effects.

Importance of Safe Disposal of Medical Sharps

Needles or other medical sharps that have already been used can pose serious and dangerous health risks to people and pets if they are not disposed of safely. This is because people can be injured by them and get infected.

The most common of the infections include Hepatitis B (HBV), Hepatitis C (HCV), and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). That is why safe disposal of medical sharps is essential irrespective of whether they are used at home, at school, at work, while traveling, or in any public places like hotels, parks, or restaurants.

It is crucial not to dispose of any loose needles and other used medical sharps that have not been put into a sharps disposal container, in an open, easily accessible trashcan or recycling bin. They should not be flushed down the toilet as it can put the janitors, trash and sewage workers, household members, housekeepers, and children at risk of being harmed.

Conclusion

Though it might be legal to place the sharps containers in the trashcans in certain municipalities, it still poses a very big health hazard for the people exposed to them. Hence, it is better to adopt the newer technologies that can help to transform medical sharps into sterile garbage in a few hours. Arguably, they are the best medical sharps disposal solutions available in the market. They not only have immense health benefits in terms of safety but also have an important role in the reduction of carbon emission resulting from the disposal of medical wastes.