Treatment of infectious waste in dialysis

A crucial issue for patient safety and public health

Treatment of infectious waste in dialysis : Dialysis is an essential treatment for individuals suffering from chronic kidney failure. However, this procedure generates infectious waste that, if not properly treated, can pose significant risks to patient and healthcare worker safety, as well as to the environment.

Types of Infectious Waste in Dialysis

Infectious waste in dialysis includes:

• Blood and blood products: blood collection tubes, catheters, needles, soiled dressings
• Body fluids: urine, vomit, feces
• Microbiological cultures: culture media, slides, and tubes
• Anatomical waste: organs, tissues, amputated limbs
• Sharps: needles, blades, scalpels
• Contaminated consumables: tubing, filters, dialyzers

Risks Associated with Infectious Waste

If infectious waste is not properly sorted, collected, transported, and treated, it can:

• Transmit infectious agents: HIV, Hepatitis B and C, tuberculosis, bacterial infections
• Contaminate the environment: soil, water, air
• Expose patients and healthcare workers to infection risks: accidental needle sticks, contact with contaminated fluids

Regulations and Best Practices

Regulations regarding the treatment of infectious waste in dialysis vary by country. However, certain fundamental principles generally apply:

• Rigorous waste sorting: Waste should be sorted at the source according to its infectious nature and treatment method.
• Adequate packaging: Waste should be packaged in specific, leak-proof, and puncture-resistant containers.
• Clear labeling: Waste containers should be clearly labeled with their contents and the international biohazard symbol.
• Collection and transport by authorized professionals: Infectious waste collection and transport should be performed by specialized, certified companies.
• Treatment according to standards: Infectious waste should be treated by methods such as incineration, sterilization, or disinfection, in compliance with current regulations. Increasingly, countries are recommending and promoting on-site waste treatment.

Solutions for Effective Treatment of Infectious Waste

Several solutions exist to ensure effective treatment of infectious waste in dialysis:

• Implementation of a waste management plan: This plan should define procedures for sorting, packaging, labeling, collecting, transporting, and treating waste.
• Staff training: Healthcare personnel should be trained in the risks associated with infectious waste and appropriate management procedures.
• Use of on-site treatment devices: More and more countries are advocating on-site infectious waste treatment systems to enhance health safety (minimizing contamination risks) and reduce environmental impacts. Increasingly, dialysis centers are using on-site treatment devices that reduce waste volume and lower storage, collection, and treatment costs.
• Recycling: Recognizing the increasing difficulty and cost of landfill and incineration solutions, public policies are increasingly recommending, and sometimes mandating, the purchase of recyclable consumables and the implementation of recycling solutions for infectious medical waste and storage products.

The treatment of infectious waste in dialysis is crucial for the safety of patients, healthcare workers, and the environment. By implementing preventive measures and adopting appropriate management practices, dialysis centers can minimize the risks associated with this waste and contribute to public health protection.

Advantages of On-Site Treatment of Infectious Waste in Dialysis

On-site treatment of Medical Infectious Waste (MIW) in dialysis centers offers several important benefits:

Reduction of Infection Risks

• Minimization of MIW handling and transport, which reduces the risk of exposure for patients, staff, and the environment to pathogens.
• On-site elimination of MIW, eliminating the risk of leaks or accidents during transport to external treatment facilities.

Improvement of Safety and Compliance

• Strict adherence to local and national regulations regarding the treatment and disposal of MIW.
• Clear and documented traceability chain for all MIW, ensuring responsible and secure management.

Increased Efficiency and Cost Reduction

• Optimization of waste management processes, reducing the time and resources devoted to sorting, packaging, and transporting MIW.
• Control of MIW treatment costs by eliminating external transport and treatment fees.

Environmental Protection

• Reduction of carbon footprint associated with transporting MIW to external treatment facilities.
• Promotion of sustainable waste management practices, contributing to environmental protection.

Improvement of Staff Well-being

• Reduction of stress and anxiety related to handling and transporting MIW.
• Creation of a safer and healthier work environment for staff.

In addition to these tangible benefits, on-site treatment of MIW can also enhance the image and reputation of a dialysis center by demonstrating its commitment to patient safety, environmental protection, and social responsibility.

On-site treatment of infectious waste in dialysis offers significant advantages in terms of patient safety, regulatory compliance, operational efficiency, environmental protection, and staff well-being. It is a practice increasingly adopted by dialysis centers worldwide, as it improves care quality while reducing costs and protecting the environment.

On-Site Treatment of Infectious Waste in Dialysis: The Benefits of the Sterigerms Machine

Managing Medical Infectious Waste (MIW) in dialysis centers is crucial for public health and environmental protection. On-site treatment of MIW with the Sterigerms machine offers an innovative and promising solution to address this issue. This article highlights the considerable benefits of this technology.

Enhanced Safety and Reduced Infection Risks

On-site treatment with Sterigerms ensures the complete elimination of pathogens present in MIW, thus eliminating any risk of cross-contamination. This secure process minimizes infection risks for patients, healthcare staff, and the environment.

Environmentally Friendly and Sustainable Development

The Sterigerms machine stands out for its ecological approach. It significantly reduces waste volume, thus limiting transport and storage needs. Moreover, the sterilization process generates no polluting effluents, contributing to environmental preservation.

Cost Optimization and Better Budget Management

On-site treatment of MIW with Sterigerms provides an economically advantageous solution. By eliminating the need for external service providers for waste collection and incineration, dialysis centers achieve considerable savings on operating costs.

Increased Autonomy and Simplified Procedures

The Sterigerms machine grants dialysis centers greater autonomy in managing their MIW. On-site treatment streamlines procedures and simplifies logistics, freeing up valuable time and resources for healthcare staff.

Improvement of Care Quality and Patient Well-being

By contributing to a safer and healthier work environment, on-site treatment of MIW with Sterigerms directly enhances the quality of care provided to patients. This fosters their well-being and confidence in the dialysis center.

On-site treatment of infectious waste in dialysis with the Sterigerms machine proves to be a reliable, beneficial, and sustainable solution. By ensuring patient and staff safety, respecting the environment, and optimizing costs, this technology represents a major advancement in DASRI management in medical settings.

In addition to the aforementioned points, it is important to highlight that the Sterigerms machine:

• Meets the strictest regulatory standards for MIW treatment.
• Boasts a robust and reliable design, ensuring durable and secure use.
• Easily integrates into the constrained spaces of dialysis centers.
• Offers a turnkey solution with staff support and training.

Adopting on-site treatment with the Sterigerms machine is thus a decidedly innovative choice for dialysis centers, allowing them to combine performance, safety, and environmental responsibility.

Detailed Technical Data of the Sterigerms 60L Machine: Data specific to the quantity of infectious waste in dialysis: At Sterigerms, studies have been conducted with a leading sector actor in France, E.C.H.O, to measure the typology of infectious waste in dialysis and the quantities per patient after each hemodialysis session, depending on the generators used in their center: Fresenius, Nipro, and Baxter. (See technical compliance certificate for dialysis).

It has been found that when waste sorting is well done and the generators used are of the older generation, approximately 1.5 kg of waste per patient is generated. The use of new generators with line purging eliminates liquids, reducing the weight by 33%, or 500g, for a total weight of 1 kg per patient.

Data specific to the on-site infectious waste treatment systems in dialysis using Sterigerms technology:

• A unique technology based on compacting adapted to the treatment of infectious dialysis waste, particularly dialyzers and OPCT boxes that damage grinding systems. Compacting reduces waste volume by 80%, increasing storage capacities and reducing costs.
• The use of dry heat for treating infectious dialysis waste neutralizes the infectious risks not only of the waste itself but also of residues left in the machine. No periodic checks are needed as required by autoclave systems. Machine availability is 98%.
• No need for water to operate the machine. A simple 220V electrical outlet is sufficient. Low power consumption (equivalent to a washing machine).
• A machine designed to be placed close to patients to minimize infectious risks. Odorless, noise-free, small-sized, and mobile machine.
• A high capacity to treat dialysis infectious waste. The Sterigerms machine can treat the waste of 176 hemodialysis patients per day, or up to 80 tons per year.
• Recording of all treatment data to ensure traceability of each residue.
• Possibility to recycle residues after treatment to generate energy or supply other local recycling channels.
• An average cost savings of 80% in treating dialysis infectious waste over 7 years.