A syringe not thrown away correctly, a gauze reused by mistake, poor hygiene in the rooms: the hospitalsplaces that should be dedicated to the treatment of diseases, they are among the most common areas for the spread of infections. According to the World Health Organization, for every 100 patients admitted to hospitals, as many as 7 contract an infection, in high-income countries and 15 patients in low- and middle-income countries and 1 in 10 die. 70% of all hospital-acquired infections could be prevented through increased prevention, staff training to implement safety protocols, and improved hygiene in hospital settings. Consulcesi’s CME training course starts from these premises to promote better management of hospital waste in compliance with current legislation.
“L’incorrect management of medical waste it is among the hidden culprits for the spread of infectious diseases in hospitals – he says Gian Piero Trasolini, environmental engineer – a phenomenon that is still little considered if we think that among the approximately 16 billion injections that are made every year, not all instruments, primarily needles and syringes, are disposed of in a safe way”. The latest data emerging from the 2017 Italian Observatory on safety for healthcare workers speak for themselves – a note details -: only 1 out of 2 hospitals used safety devices contributing to the 130 thousand accidents at risk of contagion that occurred every year in Italy. “75% of accidents consist of puncture wounds and injuries, 25% of contamination with blood and biological fluids”, wrote INAIL reporting the data from the Observatory.
“The training and information of all the operators involved along the waste disposal chain is essential – adds Tresolini – as well as for the very serious damage that can be caused to the health of the individual, to guarantee compliance with the legislation, the violation of which would expose the employers of work to penal sanctions and the company to pecuniary sanctions, disqualification, confiscation and publication of the sentence”.
The training courseMedical waste management: legislation and environmental sustainability‘, which closes on 31 December 2022 (deadline for the acquisition of the compulsory CME training credits envisaged for the three-year period 2020-2022) has the objective of training doctors and operators on the correct disposal of hospital waste at 360 degrees: starting from a general framework on the various types of medical waste, on temporary storage and on sterilization within the healthcare facility, frames waste management within the legislation and examines the relevant Decree Laws in detail. A fundamental part of the training in the form of an e-book will also be the definition of the methodological criteria for the assessment of the HP9 – infectious hazard characterization and the focus on the environmental impact associated with the treatment and disposal processes of medical waste, on the plants currently present in Italy and on the possible recycling and reuse actions of this type of waste.
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