Presença de microrganismos patogênicos em resíduos de serviços de saúde – opiniões divergentes sobre os possíveis riscos à saúde humana

Abstract

The present study had as main objectives to investigate the main pathogens that can be found in health care waste and to investigate the arguments of researchers who do not consider such residues as high risks of contamination to the environment and humans, confronting the arguments of researchers who consider these risks very expressive. This information was obtained by means of bibliographic research. As a result it was obtained that the main pathogenic microorganisms found in RSS are: Hepatitis A, B and C viruses, Enterococcus faecalis, Enterococcus faecium, Klebsiella sp, Salmonella sp, Shigella sp, Vibrio cholerae, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Staphylococcus aerus, Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Candida albicans, as well as other fungi. It was concluded that the risk of contamination by microorganisms found in health care waste exists and is recognized both by researchers who highlight this potential as well as by those who believe that this risk should not be considered as high and should be assessed according to the categories and subcategories of health care waste. This risk also depends on environmental, cultural, social and economic factors, as well as the epidemiological contact and chain of infection.