Page 15
F L U I D
M A N A G E M E N T
1. Manual discharge to sewer
This is the only way it was done for years, until surgical professionals raised legitimate concerns about exposure to infectious fluid. Under most regulations, liquid waste can be discharged into the sanitary sewer. Naturally, this is the simplest way and the one that involves the smallest number of steps. But make sure you have an industrial wastewater discharge permit, or something similar,
before dumping waste into the sewer. If, for example, your facility is part of a medical office building, the landlord, who'll ultimately be held responsible, might not have a discharge permit.
The manual dumping of fluid waste increases staff exposure risk, so be sure all personnel charged with the task wear appropriate personal protective equipment: gloves, gowns and eyewear.
Try to dispose of as much fluid as you can via the sewer. It's as cost effective as you can get. Though the requirements are complex, some basic precautions and common-sense procedures can let you dispose of waste manually in a way that's in compliance with your local regulations, safe for staff and beneficial to your bottom line.
Pharmaceutical waste, whether generated in pre-op, OR, or recovery, is also an important consideration. When IV meds are only partially delivered, you need to dispose of the remainder. You might be permitted to dispose of some in the sanitary sewer, but you'll need to get approval from the local sewer district — which can be difficult. Most waste pharmaceuticals have to be either sent to reverse distributors for credit or for disposal by incineration. There are also patient confidentiality issues with partially used IVs, because they have patient identification on them. It pays to minimize the amount of liquid medications that end up being only partially delivered. In other words, when possible, always dose completely.
2. Solidifying
Suction canisters may or may not come with a solidifying component. Manufacturers of some disposable containers like to advertise that they
