😀 EASY

These questions were produced for Warwick Clinical Skills Society in October 2021 and cover some of the guidelines about the disposal of clinical and non-clinical waste. These are based on local guidelines and policies so will not necessarily be relevant to other medical schools.

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Infectious waste

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Question 1
You have finished your afternoon in clinic and are leaving the hospital. Which bin should you put your face mask in?
A
Bin with green top and clear bag
B
Bin with striped yellow and black bin liner in
C
Bin with orange bag
D
Take mask home and re-use the following day
E
Black waste bin
Question 1 Explanation: 
The so-called 'tiger' bag is used for non-offensive waste. At UHCW, clear bags are used for recycling, orange bags for infectious/clinical waste.
Question 2
You are working as an FY2 on oncology and are helping the nurse with a patient's IV line used for their chemotherapy drugs. Which bin should the line be disposed in?
A
Yellow
B
Orange
C
Purple
D
Tiger
E
Clear
Question 2 Explanation: 
Purple bins, and sharps bins with purple lids are for disposing equipment contaminated with cytotoxic chemicals such as those used in chemotherapy. There are other rules and guidelines about using cytotoxic drugs and I would not expect students to be working with these agents.
Question 3
You take the last face mask from the box. What do you do with the empty cardboard box?
A
Leave it where you found it
B
Put in a black waste bin
C
Put in a bin with a clear bag and green lid
D
Put in white bin bag
E
None of the above
Question 3 Explanation: 
The cardboard (and the plastic wrapping you'll probably find inside the empty box) should be placed in a recycling bin. It is cheaper to dispose of recyclable materials (provided they have been properly separated) than normal waste and clinical waste, as well as being good for the environment. White bags are for linen.
Question 4
You are an FY1 and have just been to see a patient who is being barrier nursed (i.e. they are in a side room because they are infectious and you must wear gloves, apron and mask when seeing them, even in the days before COVID). What should you do with your used PPE?
A
Keep face mask but dispose of others in the bin in the room
B
Put in orange or yellow bag
C
Put in tiger bag
D
Put in clear bag
E
Put in black bag
Question 4 Explanation: 
While your PPE should be disposed of in the room, you should also change your mask as well. As this is infectious clinical waste, it needs to go in a yellow or orange bag. None of the other bags would be suitable - even domestic waste from a patient who is being barrier nursed should be put in the clinical waste bin in their room.
Question 5
You are taking bloods from a patient and manage to get a drop of blood on a spare blood tube. What do you do with this tube?
A
Clean it with a chlorhexidine wipe and put back with the empty blood bottles
B
Put in yellow bin
C
Clean with an alcohol wipe and put back with the empty blood bottles
D
Put in sharps bin
E
Put in recycling
Question 5 Explanation: 
The tube has been contaminated and should not be used for taking other patients' bloods so it needs to be disposed of. It is clinical waste so should not be put in recycling. However, while it isn't a sharp per se, it is plastic that could shatter leading to a sharps injury; while it may not contain blood products, the cleaner or porter will not know this. Therefore, I would dispose of this in a sharps bin.
Question 6
Overnight, a patient with incontinence has soiled their own pyjamas. You have helped the nurses clean the patient. What is the most appropriate thing to do with their wet, soiled clothes?
A
Put in white laundry bag
B
Put in patient's bag
C
Put in alginate bag
D
Put in clear plastic bag
E
Put in the rubbish
Question 6 Explanation: 
White laundry bags are used for hospital laundry - if it goes in one of these, the patient's clothes may never be seen again (if it was a hospital gown/pyjamas, it could then go in the laundry bag, probably in an alginate bag). Putting directly into the patient's bag would not be appropriate as you may soil other personal belongings. The most appropriate answer in C - alginate bags are special bags that disintegrate in the wash. You can place the clothes in here and then give the bag to the patient/their relatives and it can be put straight in the wash. Heavily soiled hospital linen is often put in an alginate bag as well so the laundry staff don't have to handle it either.
Question 7
You have finished taking bloods. What bin do you put your gloves in?
A
Tiger bin
B
Black bin
C
Green bin
D
Yellow bin
E
None of the above
Question 7 Explanation: 
The gloves have been used for a clinical procedure so are classified as clinical waste, therefore you must use a yellow or orange bin. If you had been cleaning the patient only, a tiger bag would be appropriate.
Question 8
After taking a patient's blood you accidentally prick yourself with the needle. What is the first thing you should do?
A
Ask the patient if they have HIV or Hepatitis
B
Report to occupational health
C
Wash the wound with soap and water
D
Encourage the wound to bleed
E
Inform you manager
Question 8 Explanation: 
Following a sharps injury you should:

1. Encourage bleeding (preferably with running water)

2. Wash with soap and water

3. Dry carefully

4. Cover with a waterproof dressing

5. Inform manager - on placement I would inform the nurse in charge or the person who gave you the task, as well as the person in charge of the teaching block

6. Complete an Incident Form

7. Report to Occupational Health (follow trust guidelines and Ext number)

If out of hours;

• Report to A&E out of hours and to the Occupational health department the next working day

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There are 8 questions to complete.

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