Statistical predictors of hazardous medical waste generation rates in a 40-bed general hospital

Abstract

Objective of the work was to investigate correlations among hazardous medical waste generation rates and various hospital parameters in 2 departments and a clinic of a 40-bed Hellenic general hospital (Hospital of Ikaria). Medical waste was recorded at the bio-pathology lab, the pathology clinic and the emergency department 4 times daily during a 42 sampling day period (from December 2008 to May 2009). The hospital parameters recorded on a daily basis were the number of examinees, the number of patients that occupied beds and the number of tests performed daily at the clinical bio-pathology laboratory. The dependent variable was the medical waste generation rate (kg day-1) in all cases. Statistically significant linear correlations were established in all departments; the strongest correlation (R2≈0.75) was calculated at the clinical bio-pathology laboratory and the weakest (R2=0.30) at the emergency department. An analysis of variance (Tukey's t-test) and a non-parametric statistical test revealed that medical waste generation rates from the clinical bio-pathology laboratory were statistically lower in the weekends compared to weekdays. In addition, medical waste amounts generated by the pathology clinic were statistically lower during December and January compared to February and April. © 2011 Global NEST Printed in Greece. All rights reserved.