What do OSHA regulations apply to? (3)
- Human blood
- Human infectious waste
- Human pathological waste
What are the 3 major types of waste streams generated by most laboratories? (3)
- Non-regulated
- Regulated waste
- Chemical waste
What may non-regulated wastes include? (5)
- Gloves
- Lab coat (disposable)
- Plastic transfer pipettes
- Used urine container (if no visible blood is contained)
- Needle caps
List 6 types of biohazardous waste. (6)
- Contaminated gloves
- Contaminated gauze squares
- Bloody cotton balls
- Full collection tubes (plastic tubes)
- Urine culture (autoclaved as this is not sterile!)
- Sealed serum/plasma transfer tubes
List 4 types of biohazardous sharps. (4)
- Needles (used/unused)
- Capillary tubes (glass)
- Microscope slides
- Glass collection tubes
State 3 things a biohazard container must have on the outside. (3)
- Properly labelled
- Colour-coded
- Biohazard symbol
What steps should you take when a patient is about to or loses consciousness? (5)
- Immediately discontinue draw
- Protect the patient from falling
- Ask for assistance
- Get a cold cloth and water
- Report incident to supervisor
How should you handle an accidental arterial blood draw? (5)
- Continue draw
- Don’t panic the patient
- Hold site for minimum of 5min
- Label the tube as “arterial blood” or “arterial draw”
- Advise your supervisor
How many rpm and how long is the centrifuge used for?
3000rpm for 15min
How long and at what temperature do autoclaves typically run?
121 degrees celsius for 15min
How much pressure is applied in an autoclave?
15psi
How long can a bag stay sterile after being autoclaved?
4wks
List the 5 parts of the infection control cycle. (5)
- Reservoir host
- Means of exit
- Means of transmission
- Means of entry
- Susceptible host
