Medical waste in mobile prehospital care

ABSTRACT Objective: the objective of this study is to identify how Medical Waste (MW) is managed in Mobile Prehospital Care (MPC) services in the state of São Paulo as well as characterize and quantify this waste. Method: exploratory and descriptive field study with data collection based on the methodology proposed by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), which was conducted over eight consecutive days to identify the production and characteristics of generated waste. Results: it was found that the MW management of the MPC is not yet in line with the requirements of RDC 306/04, which could affect the occupational safety of workers, patients, the community, and the environment. Conclusion: it is recommended for the health managers to focus on this issue. The lack of studies with regard to MPC also indicates the need for further studies on the waste management.

摘要 研究目的：本研究旨在明确圣保罗州移动院前急救（Mobile Prehospital Care, MPC）服务中医疗废物（Medical Waste, MW）的管理现状，并对该类废物进行特征表征与产量量化。方法：本研究为探索性描述性实地研究，数据采集采用泛美卫生组织（Pan American Health Organization, PAHO）提出的研究方法，连续开展八日以明确所产生医疗废物的产量与特征。结果：研究发现，移动院前急救服务的医疗废物管理尚未符合RDC 306/04的相关要求，该情况可能对工作人员、患者、社区及环境的职业安全造成潜在影响。结论：建议卫生管理者重点关注该问题。当前针对移动院前急救医疗废物管理的研究仍较为匮乏，这也凸显出开展相关深入研究的必要性。