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Updated: May 13, 2026
Safety Precautions and Operating Procedures in an (A)BSL-4 Laboratory: 2. General Practices
Published on: October 3, 2016
Infectious risk assessment of unsafe handling practices and management of clinical solid waste
Md Sohrab Hossain1, Nik Norulaini Nik Ab Rahman, Venugopal Balakrishnan
1Department of Environmental Technology, School of Industrial Technology, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang 11800, Malaysia. msh.id09@student.usm.my
Abstract:
The present study was undertaken to determine the bacterial agents present in various clinical solid wastes, general waste and clinical sharp waste. The waste was collected from different wards/units in a healthcare facility in Penang Island, Malaysia. The presence of bacterial agents in clinical and general waste was determined using the conventional bacteria identification methods. Several pathogenic bacteria including opportunistic bacterial agent such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella spp., Klebsiella pneumoniae, Serratia marcescens, Acinetobacter baumannii, Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Enterococcus faecalis, Streptococcus pyogenes were detected in clinical solid wastes. The presence of specific pathogenic bacterial strains in clinical sharp waste was determined using 16s rDNA analysis. In this study, several nosocomial pathogenic bacteria strains of Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Proteus mirabilis, Lysinibacillus sphaericus, Serratia marcescens, and Staphylococcus aureus were detected in clinical sharp waste. The present study suggests that waste generated from healthcare facilities should be sterilized at the point of generation in order to eliminate nosocomial infections from the general waste or either of the clinical wastes.
Insights
Healthcare waste harbors dangerous bacteria like Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. Sterilizing medical waste at its source is crucial to prevent the spread of nosocomial infections.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Environmental Health
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- Healthcare facilities generate diverse waste streams, including clinical solid waste, general waste, and clinical sharp waste.
- These waste materials can harbor pathogenic bacteria, posing a risk of nosocomial infections.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify bacterial agents present in clinical solid waste, general waste, and clinical sharp waste from a Malaysian healthcare facility.
- To assess the potential for pathogen transmission from healthcare waste.
Main Methods:
- Conventional bacterial identification methods were used for clinical and general waste.
- 16s rDNA analysis was employed to identify specific pathogenic bacterial strains in clinical sharp waste.
Main Results:
- Pathogenic bacteria including Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Staphylococcus aureus were detected in clinical solid wastes.
- Nosocomial pathogens such as Escherichia coli, Proteus mirabilis, and Staphylococcus aureus were identified in clinical sharp waste.
Conclusions:
- Healthcare waste contains a variety of pathogenic and opportunistic bacteria.
- Sterilization of healthcare waste at the point of generation is recommended to mitigate the risk of nosocomial infections.
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