Infection control. Suction waste management in hospitals and nursing homes

A survey of seven hospitals and 16 nursing homes was conducted to examine the equipment and procedures for handling and disposing of blood and body fluids accumulated by suctioning. In hospitals, it was found that the degree of caution used is greatest in surgery units and declines through OB surgery, recovery, ER, intensive care, cardiac care, nursing and oncology units. The degree of caution when disposing of suction waste is uniformly low in nursing homes. Several recommendations are offered to help prevent contamination from suction waste, and detailed infection control guidelines for safer suction waste disposal are provided.