It is important to always dispose of contaminated waste properly. Waste that should be considered contaminated/infectious is usually defined by the healthcare facility's infection control and/or safety committee and may vary between organizations. For example, some facilities may define all used gloves as infectious waste, while other facilities may consider only gloves with visible contamination as infectious waste. It is important to know and follow facility-specific policies.
Examples of contaminated waste include:
- Blood-soaked bandages/linens
- Microbiological waste
- Pathological specimen waste
- All body fluids (eg, pleural fluid)
- Contaminated sharps
- Blood specimens
