INFECTION CONTROL 16

Disposal by Incineration

This is the preferred method of disposal for all combustible and other material of an infectious nature (e.g., contaminated needles, plastic syringes and clinical waste).

      Disposable linen and infected protective clothing and drapes should be incinerated
.

VIRUS INFECTIONS IN SURGERY 

HEPATITIS B (SERUM HEPATITIS)

This is one of the most infective viruses.

•     It may be transmitted from patient to patient by as little as 0.0001 ml of infected blood.

•     The virus remains active for up to 6 months in dried blood, consequently instruments which have been poorly cleaned or disinfected may be responsible for infecting other patients, whilst poor surgical technique may result in the doctor becoming infected from the patient, or vice versa

•     It has been estimated that there are possibly 200 million carriers of hepatitis in the world, representing up to 20 percent of the population in African, Pacific, and other Tropical countries, and 0.5 percent of the population in Northern Europe. The current prevlance in the population is from
1 to 15.8 percent

•     Thus, statistically the doctor has a 1 in 200 chance of treating a hepatitis B carrier

•           If the doctor becomes accidentally infected with the hepatitis B virus, not only may the disease develop but the doctor may become a hepatitis B carrier and be an unacceptable risk to patients and may have to give up surgery. The transmission role in case of needle stick is 6 to 37 percent.

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