Bridging the gap: a cross-sectional study on biomedical waste management education and compliance in dental institutions of Delhi National Capital Region

Introduction and method: Biomedical waste management (BMWM) ensures the safe handling, segregation, and disposal of healthcare waste from hospitals, clinics, and laboratories. It reduces infection risks, protects public health, and promotes environmental sustainability, benefiting healthcare workers...

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Main Authors: Mahesh, Shakila, Hemalata, Kruthiventi, Shanta, Ramya, Vashistha, Urvi, Krishnakumar, Kavya, Arora, Samridhi, Gupta, Alpa
Format: Article
Language:deu
Published: German Medical Science GMS Publishing House 2025-05-01
Series:GMS Hygiene and Infection Control
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Online Access:https://journals.publisso.de/en/journals/hic/volume20/dgkh000553
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author Mahesh, Shakila
Hemalata, Kruthiventi
Shanta, Ramya
Vashistha, Urvi
Krishnakumar, Kavya
Arora, Samridhi
Gupta, Alpa
author_facet Mahesh, Shakila
Hemalata, Kruthiventi
Shanta, Ramya
Vashistha, Urvi
Krishnakumar, Kavya
Arora, Samridhi
Gupta, Alpa
author_sort Mahesh, Shakila
collection DOAJ
description Introduction and method: Biomedical waste management (BMWM) ensures the safe handling, segregation, and disposal of healthcare waste from hospitals, clinics, and laboratories. It reduces infection risks, protects public health, and promotes environmental sustainability, benefiting healthcare workers, patients, and communities. The purpose of this study was to assess BMWM knowledge, attitudes, and practices among healthcare professionals using a structured questionnaire. Data were analyzed by participants' educational levels. Results: The study included 180 voluntary participants: 28 faculty members, 33 postgraduate students from various disciplines, and 119 undergraduate students from a dental college. 41.7% correctly identified black as the color code for general waste, and 73.8% knew needle syringes require puncture-resistant bins. Awareness of sharps containers and blood waste incineration (53.9%) was moderate. While 68.9% supported BMWM in undergraduate curricula, 91.1% stressed the importance of segregation. Autoclaving was used by 71.7% for sterilization, and 47.8% used special containers for lab samples. Faculty members had the highest knowledge scores. Discussion: The study revealed moderate understanding of BMWM, with 55–60% showing full comprehension. Mercury disposal awareness (42.8%) was higher due to coverage in the dental curriculum. Collaboration among healthcare professionals and improved training are vital for effective BMWM practices.
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institution DOAJ
issn 2196-5226
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publishDate 2025-05-01
publisher German Medical Science GMS Publishing House
record_format Article
series GMS Hygiene and Infection Control
spelling doaj-art-24db414448d34a2a8268ad23339fb9512025-08-20T03:07:24ZdeuGerman Medical Science GMS Publishing HouseGMS Hygiene and Infection Control2196-52262025-05-0120Doc2410.3205/dgkh000553Bridging the gap: a cross-sectional study on biomedical waste management education and compliance in dental institutions of Delhi National Capital RegionMahesh, Shakila0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7574-3103Hemalata, Kruthiventi1https://orcid.org/0009-0004-1429-4860Shanta, Ramya2https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7975-3309Vashistha, Urvi3https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6780-1414Krishnakumar, Kavya4https://orcid.org/0009-0006-1201-5017Arora, Samridhi5https://orcid.org/0009-0006-5803-5312Gupta, Alpa6https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8047-5054Department of Microbiology, Manav Rachna Dental College, School of Dental Sciences, MRIIRS, Faridabad, IndiaManav Rachna Dental College, School of Dental Sciences, MRIIRS, Faridabad, IndiaManav Rachna Dental College, School of Dental Sciences, MRIIRS, Faridabad, IndiaManav Rachna Dental College, School of Dental Sciences, MRIIRS, Faridabad, IndiaManav Rachna Dental College, School of Dental Sciences, MRIIRS, Faridabad, IndiaManav Rachna Dental College, School of Dental Sciences, MRIIRS, Faridabad, IndiaDepartment of endodontics and conservative dentistry, School of Dental Sciences, Manav Rachna International Institute of Research and Studies, Haryana, IndiaIntroduction and method: Biomedical waste management (BMWM) ensures the safe handling, segregation, and disposal of healthcare waste from hospitals, clinics, and laboratories. It reduces infection risks, protects public health, and promotes environmental sustainability, benefiting healthcare workers, patients, and communities. The purpose of this study was to assess BMWM knowledge, attitudes, and practices among healthcare professionals using a structured questionnaire. Data were analyzed by participants' educational levels. Results: The study included 180 voluntary participants: 28 faculty members, 33 postgraduate students from various disciplines, and 119 undergraduate students from a dental college. 41.7% correctly identified black as the color code for general waste, and 73.8% knew needle syringes require puncture-resistant bins. Awareness of sharps containers and blood waste incineration (53.9%) was moderate. While 68.9% supported BMWM in undergraduate curricula, 91.1% stressed the importance of segregation. Autoclaving was used by 71.7% for sterilization, and 47.8% used special containers for lab samples. Faculty members had the highest knowledge scores. Discussion: The study revealed moderate understanding of BMWM, with 55–60% showing full comprehension. Mercury disposal awareness (42.8%) was higher due to coverage in the dental curriculum. Collaboration among healthcare professionals and improved training are vital for effective BMWM practices.https://journals.publisso.de/en/journals/hic/volume20/dgkh000553biomedical waste managementdental collegeundergraduatespost-graduatesfacultyknowledgepracticeattitude
spellingShingle Mahesh, Shakila
Hemalata, Kruthiventi
Shanta, Ramya
Vashistha, Urvi
Krishnakumar, Kavya
Arora, Samridhi
Gupta, Alpa
Bridging the gap: a cross-sectional study on biomedical waste management education and compliance in dental institutions of Delhi National Capital Region
GMS Hygiene and Infection Control
biomedical waste management
dental college
undergraduates
post-graduates
faculty
knowledge
practice
attitude
title Bridging the gap: a cross-sectional study on biomedical waste management education and compliance in dental institutions of Delhi National Capital Region
title_full Bridging the gap: a cross-sectional study on biomedical waste management education and compliance in dental institutions of Delhi National Capital Region
title_fullStr Bridging the gap: a cross-sectional study on biomedical waste management education and compliance in dental institutions of Delhi National Capital Region
title_full_unstemmed Bridging the gap: a cross-sectional study on biomedical waste management education and compliance in dental institutions of Delhi National Capital Region
title_short Bridging the gap: a cross-sectional study on biomedical waste management education and compliance in dental institutions of Delhi National Capital Region
title_sort bridging the gap a cross sectional study on biomedical waste management education and compliance in dental institutions of delhi national capital region
topic biomedical waste management
dental college
undergraduates
post-graduates
faculty
knowledge
practice
attitude
url https://journals.publisso.de/en/journals/hic/volume20/dgkh000553
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