How to appropriately dispose of used IV lines/drainage bags/systems

[Verily Thomas]

Dear All

I wonder if anyone out there can assist with a good response to feedback
to staff regarding this question I am so often asked. I have tried with
reason to advise however I would appreciate any further input from out
there to address this issue:

The question:

‘During one of the COPS meetings a question was raised around how to
appropriately dispose of peritoneal dialysis fluid and whether the
spigot of an IV line is classified as a sharp. Some wards believe that
if they separate a used IV bag from the line, they must cut the spigot
end off and put this in the sharps bin and dispose of the rest of the
line in the clinical waste bin. I was hoping to get some clarification
on these issues so I can feed it back to the COPS group.’

Thanks for your assistance.

Regards

Verily Thomas
Clinical Nurse Consultant | Infection Prevention and Control
SWSLHD-Bankstown/Lidcombe Hospital

Eldridge Road, Bansktown.NSW 2200
Tel 02 97228000 pager 28230

Tel 02 9722 8633 | Fax 02 9722 7822 | verily.thomas@sswahs.nsw.gov.au

http://www.health.nsw.gov.au

LET’S KEEP OUR HOSPITAL ENVIRONMENT CLEAN

HAND HYGIENE SAVES LIVES

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[Michael Wishart]

Hi Verily

The problem with this question is it is local legislation and local waste management regulation specific. It will depend upon what your state legislation requires, and also what your local waste management regulations (eg local council area or landfill site) requires.

In principle, the ‘spigot end’ of an IV giving set is not a sharp designed to penetrate skin, or to be used for that purpose, and thus may not meet the definition for sharp in some jurisdictions. But your local legislation and regulations may have specific guidance for this, so that should be your first line of enquiry.

Most regulations allow facilities to develop their own polices with in the guidance of the regulations. Thus, if you want to consider all IV administration sets as clinical waste, it can be a facility decision. You could not decide to allow used clinical sharps to be placed in general waste, though, if this would be a breach of the regulations.

Hope these thoughts help.

Cheers
Michael

Michael Wishart
CNC Infection Control
Holy Spirit Northside Private Hospital
627 Rode Road, Chermside, Qld 4032
t: (07) 3326 3068 | f: (07) 3607 2226
e: Michael.Wishart@hsn.org.au
w:www.holyspiritnorthside.org.au
Please consider the environment before printing this email

[AAW-logo-feature-image-size]

Dear All

I wonder if anyone out there can assist with a good response to feedback to staff regarding this question I am so often asked. I have tried with reason to advise however I would appreciate any further input from out there to address this issue:

The question:

‘During one of the COPS meetings a question was raised around how to appropriately dispose of peritoneal dialysis fluid and whether the spigot of an IV line is classified as a sharp. Some wards believe that if they separate a used IV bag from the line, they must cut the spigot end off and put this in the sharps bin and dispose of the rest of the line in the clinical waste bin. I was hoping to get some clarification on these issues so I can feed it back to the COPS group.’

Thanks for your assistance.

Regards

Verily Thomas
Clinical Nurse Consultant | Infection Prevention and Control
SWSLHD-Bankstown/Lidcombe Hospital
Eldridge Road, Bansktown.NSW 2200
Tel 02 97228000 pager 28230
Tel 02 9722 8633 | Fax 02 9722 7822 | verily.thomas@sswahs.nsw.gov.au
http://www.health.nsw.gov.au

[Description: cid:image002.jpg@01CE8EA5.483A6E60]
LET’S KEEP OUR HOSPITAL ENVIRONMENT CLEAN
HAND HYGIENE SAVES LIVES

_____________________________________________________________________
This email has been scanned for the Sydney & South Western Sydney Local Health Districts by the MessageLabs Email Security System.
Sydney & South Western Sydney Local Health Districts regularly monitor email and attachments to ensure compliance with the NSW Ministry of Health’s Electronic Messaging Policy.
MESSAGES POSTED TO THIS LIST ARE SOLELY THE OPINION OF THE AUTHOR, AND DO NOT REPRESENT THE OPINION OF ACIPC.

The use of trade/product/commercial brand names through the list is discouraged by ACIPC. If you wish to discuss specific reference to products or services by brand or commercial names, please do this outside the list.

Archive of all messages are available at http://aicalist.org.au/archives – registration and login required.

Replies to this message will be directed back to the list. To create a new message send an email to aicalist@aicalist.org.au

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MESSAGES POSTED TO THIS LIST ARE SOLELY THE OPINION OF THE AUTHOR, AND DO NOT REPRESENT THE OPINION OF ACIPC.

The use of trade/product/commercial brand names through the list is discouraged by ACIPC. If you wish to discuss specific reference to products or services by brand or commercial names, please do this outside the list.

Archive of all messages are available at http://aicalist.org.au/archives – registration and login required.

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[Terry Grimmond]

Hi Michael,
I agree. In some jurisdictions/institutions, sharps definition (along with “..could penetrate human skin”)… includes “… or puncture waste bags”. i.e. IV spikes and other sharp-edged items that might puncture/rupture a yellow bag with resultant potential for blood/OPIM leakage onto handlers.
T.

Terry Grimmond FASM, BAgrSc, GrDpAdEd
Consultant Microbiologist
Grimmond and Associates
Ph/Fx (NZ): +64 7 856 4042
Mob (NZ): +64 274 365 140
E: tg@gandassoc.com
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Hi Verily

The problem with this question is it is local legislation and local waste management regulation specific. It will depend upon what your state legislation requires, and also what your local waste management regulations (eg local council area or landfill site) requires.

In principle, the ‘spigot end’ of an IV giving set is not a sharp designed to penetrate skin, or to be used for that purpose, and thus may not meet the definition for sharp in some jurisdictions. But your local legislation and regulations may have specific guidance for this, so that should be your first line of enquiry.

Most regulations allow facilities to develop their own polices with in the guidance of the regulations. Thus, if you want to consider all IV administration sets as clinical waste, it can be a facility decision. You could not decide to allow used clinical sharps to be placed in general waste, though, if this would be a breach of the regulations.

Hope these thoughts help.

Cheers
Michael

Michael Wishart
CNC Infection Control
Holy Spirit Northside Private Hospital
627 Rode Road, Chermside, Qld 4032
t: (07) 3326 3068 | f: (07) 3607 2226
e: Michael.Wishart@hsn.org.au
w:www.holyspiritnorthside.org.au
Please consider the environment before printing this email

[cid:image001.jpg@01CEE44A.88CD6CC0]

Dear All

I wonder if anyone out there can assist with a good response to feedback to staff regarding this question I am so often asked. I have tried with reason to advise however I would appreciate any further input from out there to address this issue:

The question:

‘During one of the COPS meetings a question was raised around how to appropriately dispose of peritoneal dialysis fluid and whether the spigot of an IV line is classified as a sharp. Some wards believe that if they separate a used IV bag from the line, they must cut the spigot end off and put this in the sharps bin and dispose of the rest of the line in the clinical waste bin. I was hoping to get some clarification on these issues so I can feed it back to the COPS group.’

Thanks for your assistance.

Regards

Verily Thomas
Clinical Nurse Consultant | Infection Prevention and Control
SWSLHD-Bankstown/Lidcombe Hospital
Eldridge Road, Bansktown.NSW 2200
Tel 02 97228000 pager 28230
Tel 02 9722 8633 | Fax 02 9722 7822 | verily.thomas@sswahs.nsw.gov.au
http://www.health.nsw.gov.au

[cid:image001.jpg@01CEE214.AD0A9BE0]
LET’S KEEP OUR HOSPITAL ENVIRONMENT CLEAN
HAND HYGIENE SAVES LIVES

_____________________________________________________________________
This email has been scanned for the Sydney & South Western Sydney Local Health Districts by the MessageLabs Email Security System.
Sydney & South Western Sydney Local Health Districts regularly monitor email and attachments to ensure compliance with the NSW Ministry of Health’s Electronic Messaging Policy.
MESSAGES POSTED TO THIS LIST ARE SOLELY THE OPINION OF THE AUTHOR, AND DO NOT REPRESENT THE OPINION OF ACIPC.

The use of trade/product/commercial brand names through the list is discouraged by ACIPC. If you wish to discuss specific reference to products or services by brand or commercial names, please do this outside the list.

Archive of all messages are available at http://aicalist.org.au/archives – registration and login required.

Replies to this message will be directed back to the list. To create a new message send an email to aicalist@aicalist.org.au

To send a message to the list administrator send an email to aicalist-request@aicalist.org.au.

You can unsubscribe from this list be sending ‘signoff aicalist’ (without the quotes) to listserv@aicalist.org.au

________________________________
Message protected by MailGuard: e-mail anti-virus, anti-spam and content filtering.
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Report this message as spam

WARNING : This email contains information, which is CONFIDENTIAL, and that maybe subject to LEGAL PRIVILEGE. This e-mail and any attachments to it (the “Communication”) is confidential and is for the use only of the intended recipient, and may not duplicated or used by any other party without the express consent of the sender. The Communication may contain copyright material of St Vincent’s Health & Aged Care(“SVHAC”), or any of its related entities or of third parties. If you are not the intended recipient of the Communication, please notify the sender immediately by return e-mail, delete the Communication, and do not read, copy, print, retransmit, store or act in reliance on the Communication. Any views expressed in the Communication are those of the individual sender only, unless expressly stated to be those of SVHAC. SVHAC does not guarantee the integrity of the Communication, or that it is free from errors, viruses or interference. Thank-you.
________________________________
Message protected by MailGuard: e-mail anti-virus, anti-spam and content filtering.
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MESSAGES POSTED TO THIS LIST ARE SOLELY THE OPINION OF THE AUTHOR, AND DO NOT REPRESENT THE OPINION OF ACIPC.

The use of trade/product/commercial brand names through the list is discouraged by ACIPC. If you wish to discuss specific reference to products or services by brand or commercial names, please do this outside the list.

Archive of all messages are available at http://aicalist.org.au/archives – registration and login required.

Replies to this message will be directed back to the list. To create a new message send an email to aicalist@aicalist.org.au

To send a message to the list administrator send an email to aicalist-request@aicalist.org.au.

You can unsubscribe from this list be sending ‘signoff aicalist’ (without the quotes) to listserv@aicalist.org.au

MESSAGES POSTED TO THIS LIST ARE SOLELY THE OPINION OF THE AUTHOR, AND DO NOT REPRESENT THE OPINION OF ACIPC.

The use of trade/product/commercial brand names through the list is discouraged by ACIPC. If you wish to discuss specific reference to products or services by brand or commercial names, please do this outside the list.

Archive of all messages are available at http://aicalist.org.au/archives – registration and login required.

Replies to this message will be directed back to the list. To create a new message send an email to aicalist@aicalist.org.au

To send a message to the list administrator send an email to aicalist-request@aicalist.org.au.

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