RPBI is the acronym which designates Hazardous Infectious Biological Waste. This is a classification that exists in Mexico with the objective of naming a certain class of waste that, due to its characteristics, implies a risk to health and the environment in general. RPBIs are generally produced in laboratories, research establishments and health centers, for the performance of various development activities related to the health of humans, as well as animals.
What is RPBI
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They are the waste product of health care services, potentially dangerous as they contain infectious biological agents and can cause harmful effects to the ecosystem and health. The regulatory body is RPBI IMSS (Mexican Institute of Social Security).
This type of waste is made up of microorganisms that represent a potential risk to the health of living beings, it is a danger that it is necessary to know in order to prevent it.
Characteristics of RPBI
- They are biological agents.
- They are potentially infectious.
- They represent a risk to health and the environment.
- They have the ability to trigger disease.
These residues can be:
- Liquid blood and its components.
- Cultures of infectious biological agents and strains.
- Tissues and organs with pathologies extracted during surgeries; biological samples for analysis; corpses; and research animals that were grafted with pathogens.
- Sharp objects that have touched a biological element.
- Non-biological objects with samples of waste.
Rules for the management of RPBI
As it is material that must be handled with caution, there are rules for its treatment. The personnel who should know about the RPBI handling nurse, doctor, paramedics and other related.
In Mexico there is the Official Mexican Standard NOM-087-ECOL-SSA1-2002, which is a regulation on the procedures that must be carried out for the RPBI classification, handling, storage, transportation and processing of hazardous organic waste.
One of the fundamental elements contemplated in standard 087 is the way in which RPBI should be classified; they must be packaged immediately, therefore they should not be transported before being packaged.
ID
The physical state of the waste must be identified: if it is in a solid or liquid state. After this, they must be separated by type: sharp objects, non-anatomical or biological residues (such as gauze, gloves or other contaminated implements), pathological (tissues and organs not preserved in formaldehyde), blood in its liquid state and other derivatives and cultures or strains.
Packing
Once the waste has been identified and separated, according to the 087 standard, it must be packaged as follows:
- Type: Sharps (razors, needles, scalpels)
- State: Solid
- Packaging / Color: Rigid polypropylene containers / Red
- Type: Non-anatomical contaminated with pulmonary fluids or secretions (gauze, cottons, gloves)
- State: Solid
- Packaging / Color: Plastic bags / Red
- Type: Disposable materials used for crops
- State: Solid
- Packaging / Color: Plastic bags / Red
- Type: Pathological (organs or tissues that are necrotized, excised or extracted not preserved in formaldehyde)
- State: Solid
- Packaging / Color: Plastic bags / Yellow
- Type: Liquid blood and derivatives
- State: Liquid
- Packaging / Color: Airtight container / Red
- Type: Samples for laboratory analysis
- State: Liquid
- Packaging / Color: Airtight container / Yellow
- Type: Body fluids
- State: Liquid
- Packaging / Color: Airtight container / Red
Temporary storage
The containers with the waste that have already been packed and labeled must remain in an area that is not confused with the rest of the usual waste and garbage, so the medical facility must have a storage place that remains constantly closed.
The area must have good signage so that all personnel are aware of the presence of these substances, as well as the proper identification of each container according to the type of waste, with its distinctive RPBI logo. The maximum permanence that a waste can be stored is 7 days in a hospital with more than 60 beds.
Collection and transport
The collection of RPBI corresponds to the removal of the bags or containers with the waste when they are at 80% of their capacity to be transferred to the storage place.
Transportation must be done in collection carts, following established routes from the place where the waste will be removed to the warehouse, they must be the same and avoid common areas where patients are.
Treatment
It is the final disposal of waste. Health centers can carry out the final treatment with an autoclave (does not apply to limbs and sharps). The temperature applied to the bags is 121ºC with 15 pounds of pressure for half an hour, which will sterilize and deform the waste, so that it can be disposed of with the common garbage. For those who cannot be treated by the hospital, an authorized company will collect the RPBI.
Importance of the RPBI
The objective RPBI is the correct management and final disposal of waste, since, if this series of procedures does not exist, the environmental and biological risk would be latently threatening not only the health of health professionals, but also of patients who they go to healthcare centers.
Doctors, nurses, paramedics, laboratory workers and personnel in charge of cleaning the RPBI are those who are most exposed to contracting infectious diseases if there is no correct and adequate handling of these polluting wastes. There are several online resources to know the standard, such as RPBI brochure and RPBI slideshare.
