Waste Information and Courses from MediaLab, Inc.
These are the MediaLab courses that cover Waste and links to relevant pages within the course.
Learn more about laboratory continuing education for medical technologists to earn CE credit for AMT, ASCP, NCA, and state license renewal and recertification. Or get information about laboratory safety and compliance courses that deliver cost-effective OSHA safety training and continuing education to your laboratory's employees.
| Which of the following are functions of CSF? | View Page |
| Three Main Functions of CSF Cerebrospinal fluid has three main functions:CSF protects brain and spinal cord from trauma.CSF supplies nutrients to nervous system tissue.CSF removes waste products from cerebral metabolism.
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| What should you do if your lab coat or gown has dried or caked-on blood on it? | View Page |
| Introduction The government believes that fraud, abuse and waste exist in the healthcare industry today because of cases it has settled and prosecuted.All healthcare providers, including laboratories, make billing errors.The Office of Inspector General (OIG) believes that honest members of the healthcare community can police themselves if they receive guidance.The OIG has published Compliance Program Guidance documents for health care providers, including laboratories. | View Page |
| Confidentiality and inducements Do not leave test orders or test results in areas where they can be viewed by patients.Do not discuss test results or any patient information in areas where patients can overhear the conversation. Be careful not to discuss confidential information on the telephone where patients can overhear the conversation.Do not provide supplies to physician offices other than those usually provided by the laboratory. Document any supplies given to an office.Do not supply items that the office can use for testing (e.g. urine dipsticks). Do not allow offices to dispose of biohazard waste or sharps in the waste containers paid for by the laboratory.
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| Contaminated Wastes It is important to always dispose of contaminated wastes properly!Examples of contaminated wastes: Microbiology waste and pathology waste All body fluids, such as pleural fluid Contaminated sharps and blood specimens | View Page |
| Management of Spill & Disposal Promptly clean up spills using appropriate equipment and protective apparel. Dispose of waste properly. | View Page |
| Needle disposal Remove the needle from the holder if appropriate, and properly discard it in an approved sharps disposal container.Discard all waste and gloves in a red biohazardous waste container.
Wash hands.
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| Hazardous waste disposal All needles & other sharps must be disposed of in approved sharps disposal containers.
Other contaminated waste must be discarded in an appropriate red biohazard bag or waste receptacle. | View Page |
| Correct Fill Fill blood collection tubes completely (until vacuum is exhausted) to ensure the correct blood to anticoagulant ratio necessary for accurate patient results. Specimens may be rejected by the laboratory if the tube is short-filled or over-filled. To avoid short-filling of tubes, the phlebotomist must ensure that the blood flow stops completely before removing the tube from the needle. When using a winged device (butterfly) to collect blood for coagulation studies (e.g., protime, aPTT), the phlebotomist must draw a light blue top "waste" tube before attaching another light blue top tube for testing. If the air in the tubing of the winged device is not displaced into a waste tube and is drawn into the tube used for testing, the tube used for testing will short-fill. The laboratory may reject the specimen because of invalid blood to anticoagulant ratio. | View Page |
| Do It Right the First Time All sharps, including needles with safety devices activated, must be immediately placed into an approved biohazard sharps container. Containers with rigid sides must be puncture proof and leak proof. The container must be tightly closed and discarded when 3/4 full. Biohazard waste other than sharps should be properly disposed of in clearly marked biohazard bags or containers according to site protocol. | View Page |