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At least 1,243 records · Page 69Linked to original sources
PubMed2001

Position of the American Dietetic Association: dietetics professionals can implement practices to conserve natural resources and protect the environment. (Previously titled "natural resource conservation and waste management").

It is the position of the American Dietetic Association to encourage environmentally responsible practices that conserve natural resources, minimize the quantity of waste that is generated, and have the least adverse affect on the health of all living organisms and the environment. All components of the food system, from farmer to consumer, are affected by the availability and cost of energy and the availability and quality of water. Outdoor and indoor air quality significantly impacts the health of all living organisms. Decisions that dietetics professionals make as practitioners and consumers can affect the quantity and type of solid waste generated. The demand for natural resources should be evaluated when selecting the most cost-effective, environmentally sensitive approach to the management of solid waste. Special precautions are needed when using and disposing of hazardous and medical waste to protect the safety of our clients and employees. This position paper provides information and resources for dietetics professionals for addressing the complexity of the environmental issue presented. Conservation strategies are identified that dietetics professionals can use in their worksites and at home. These conservation practices may reduce cost and decrease the environmental impact we have on our communities and the world.

Air Pollution↗
PubMed1992

The management of hospital medical waste. How to increase efficiency through a medical waste audit.

Medical waste is a nightmare for hospital administrators, cutting across department boundaries and incorporating legal, financial, and community concerns. In this two-part article the author provides a stepwise approach to effective waste management. The first part gives background information on waste generation, storage, and disposal and delineates the framework of a medical waste audit. This audit is put to the test in the second part, where data from a pilot trial at an actual hospital are presented and discussed.

Costs and Cost Analysis↗
PubMed1998

Community-based programs for safe disposal of used needles and syringes.

OBJECTIVES: To review issues related to discarded syringes in the community and to describe community-based programs for the safe disposal of used needles and syringes. METHODS: We used the medical literature and chain referral to identify community-based syringe disposal programs other than syringe exchange programs (SEPs). We held a workshop in June 1996 involving staff from disposal programs; manufacturers of syringes, sharps containers, and other disposal devices; solid waste companies; public health staff; and researchers. RESULTS: Fifteen programs for the safe disposal of syringes were identified in the United States, Canada, and Australia. Of these, 12 primarily served persons with diabetes who use insulin, and 3 primarily served injection drug users (IDUs). The programs used three major strategies: puncture-resistant containers discarded in trash, community drop boxes, and sharps containers turned in for biohazard disposal at community sites, hospitals, or pharmacies. Participants in the workshop described key points in developing syringe disposal programs. Programs should involve pharmacists, physicians, waste disposal companies, public health departments, hospitals, diabetes educators, persons with diabetes who use insulin, and IDUs. For IDUs, criminal penalties for possession of syringes are a substantial deterrent to participation in community efforts to safely dispose of used syringes. The multiple and sometimes conflicting local, state, and federal laws and regulations concerning medical waste hinder development of multistate or national approaches to the safe disposal of syringes. More information is needed on community-based syringe disposal programs. CONCLUSION: Communities in the United States, Canada, and Australia have developed different approaches to achieve safe disposal of used syringes.

Australia↗
PubMed2005

Medical wastes management in the south of Brazil.

Medical (clinical) wastes are costly in disposal and carry risks of infection, or physical injury, and of exposure to potentially harmful pharmaceuticals, as well as being aesthetically unacceptable. Technological advances in disposal, together with the introduction of rigorous emission standards for incinerators and similarly stringent control standards for non-burn "alternate" disposal technologies, continue to drive improvements in waste management. Are these improvements attainable in developing countries? Where adequate resources and a robust infrastructure are lacking, investment in advanced disposal technologies may be counterproductive. Developments must be appropriate to and manageable by the communities served; sustainable low-technology approaches may be preferable. There remains a need for affordable technical innovation, as well as underlying political support and international financial and technical assistance, to sustain meaningful improvements in waste management in remote and isolated regions and more generally in developing countries.

Brazil↗
PubMed1985

Disposable needle and syringe containers.

Needle/syringe disposal in health care facilities should comply with current CDC, JCAH, and EPA recommendations. Most state laws require that needle/syringes be rendered inoperable for future use. However, this does not necessarily mean that needles have to be broken or bent. Needles/syringes that are placed in a puncture and leak-proof container that are eventually autoclaved or incinerated should satisfy the intent of these regulations. It must be emphasized that currently no data are available from controlled studies examining the effect, if any, of these devices on the incidence of needle-transmissible infections. However, common sense dictates that the new disposable containers are easier and safer to use and therefore should contribute to decreasing the incidence of needle puncture accidents among health care workers. A comprehensive program aimed at minimizing needle-stick accidents should address not only disposal devices and their accessibility at key locations, but also periodic inservice education.

Disposable Equipment↗
PubMed1997

Uses of inorganic hypochlorite (bleach) in health-care facilities.

Hypochlorite has been used as a disinfectant for more than 100 years. It has many of the properties of an ideal disinfectant, including a broad antimicrobial activity, rapid bactericidal action, reasonable persistence in treated potable water, ease of use, solubility in water, relative stability, relative nontoxicity at use concentrations, no poisonous residuals, no color, no staining, and low cost. The active species is undissociated hypochlorous acid (HOCl). Hypochlorites are lethal to most microbes, although viruses and vegetative bacteria are more susceptible than endospore-forming bacteria, fungi, and protozoa. Activity is reduced by the presence of heavy metal ions, a biofilm, organic material, low temperature, low pH, or UV radiation. Clinical uses in health-care facilities include hyperchlorination of potable water to prevent Legionella colonization, chlorination of water distribution systems used in hemodialysis centers, cleaning of environmental surfaces, disinfection of laundry, local use to decontaminate blood spills, disinfection of equipment, decontamination of medical waste prior to disposal, and dental therapy. Despite the increasing availability of other disinfectants, hypochlorites continue to find wide use in hospitals.

Chlorine↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Plastics: will their success story continue?

Plastics provide many advantages that set them apart as materials for use in medical applications. However, despite these advantages, an appreciation of the environmental concerns associated with their production and disposal is vital. This article provides an overview of the position of polymers in the medical industry and the various responses that have been taken to environmental issues.

Disposable Equipment↗
PubMed1986

Sources of hazardous waste in hospitals.

Knowing which hospital wastes the Environmental Protection Agency considers hazardous and which are considered nonhazardous can mean big dollar savings in proper handling and disposal costs.

Materials Management, Hospital↗