What happens to all the medical waste? There is a specific way to handle sharps, medicine vials and skin removed. You may notice signs or red containers in Dr. Chen’s exam rooms. The red containers often hold sharps, or needles. After every procedure we discard needles into these containers to be discarded appropriately. It is important to discard sharps safely to minimize risks of blood born pathogens.
We use lots of different medications during surgery. We have a specific containers for pharmaceutical waste. We do not throw the vials into the trash. These vials are recycled to minimize contaminating our soil and water system.
Finally, human skin/fat following surgical procedures. We have large bins that we place human waste. A company comes regularly to discard the waste. It is typically burned at high temperatures. We also donate! Large pieces of tissues can be sent away to be used in research.
Now you have a little insight into the medical waste world!