Abstract
The objective of this work was to evaluate the knowledge about the management of health service waste among the professionals of the Basic Health Units of a municipality in the central region of the State of Tocantins, Brazil. It is a descriptive, exploratory study, with a quali-quantitative approach. The interviews were carried out with 89 health workers, being constituted a sample of 26 (29%) nurses, odontologists and doctors, and 63 (71%), professionals with high school education (community health agents, nursing technicians and oral health technicians). Among the workers with higher education 25 (96.1%) interviewed correctly conceptualized the RSS, thus demonstrating knowledge on the subject, however, among the workers with secondary education 48 (76.1%) gave an assertive response, drawing attention in this group the fact that 15 (23.8%) did not answer the question correctly. Waste from health services is still understood as hospital waste by most questionnaires and the perforating ones are the most mentioned.
Highlights
Health Services Residues (RSS) are generally considered only those originated from medical, dental, laboratory, pharmaceutical and teaching and research institutions in the health or veterinary area, among others
The sample of this survey was composed of 89 workers that make up the staff of the eight Basic Health Units, distributed as follows: Group I - professional with Higher Education: 26 workers (Nurses, Odontologists and Physicians); Group II - Professional with High School: 63 workers (Community Health Agents, Nursing Technicians and Oral Health Technicians)
The questionnaires were applied to 89 health professionals, with a sample of 26 (29%) professionals with higher education, and 63 (71%) by high school professionals
Summary
Health Services Residues (RSS) are generally considered only those originated from medical, dental, laboratory, pharmaceutical and teaching and research institutions in the health or veterinary area, among others. That is why the RSS are often called "hospital waste". RSS, despite representing a small portion of the total waste generated in a community, are potential sources of disease spread because they present an additional risk to health services professionals and the community in general, when improperly managed (Silva & Hoppe, 2005). The correct management of waste is of paramount importance both for the occupational safety of the professionals who handle it, and for public health in preserving the environment. Health care waste is of a heterogeneous nature. It is of fundamental classification in the segregation of these types of waste. Having the existence of the Collegiate Directory Resolution (RDC) no 306/2004 of the National Agency of Sanitary Vigilance (ANVISA), Resolution no 358/2005 of the National Council of the Environment (CONAMA) and more recently the ANVISA Resolution no 222 of March 2018
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