[Ethics and confidentiality of a patient in a medical biology laboratory]. / L'éthique et la confidentialité du patient au laboratoire de biologie médicale.

Confidentiality is based on principles of deontology and ethics, which are included in French regulations and supported by the professional orders. It contributes to the respect and dignity of the patient. If this consideration of the human person is old, it has been updated to build the framework imposed by the accreditation of medical biology laboratories. Confidentiality is thus reflected in a charter of ethics, a model of which we propose here. It reflects the commitments of healthcare professionals in the processing of biological samples from patients. Confidentiality is thus applied, in a practical way, at each phase of the laboratory's activity. In the pre-analytical phase, it organizes the reception of the patient and the taking of samples, taking into account the particular case of minors. In the analytical phase, confidentiality imposes limited access to the technical premises and the organization of the flow of personnel from outside the laboratory. Finally, in the post-analytical phase, the reporting of results is regulated, depending on the type of analyses performed and the person to whom the results are to be reported (patient or prescriber). The particular case of spermiology illustrates all these points. Finally, during these phases of sample processing, document management is also a matter of confidentiality and data protection. Confidentiality is essential to the functioning of a health care structure, but it is restrictive in its day-to-day implementation. Nevertheless, it must be combined with an awareness of all staff to address the ethical issue of human dignity.

Healthcare waste management current status and potential challenges in Ethiopia: a systematic review.

OBJECTIVE: During the healthcare delivery process, hazardous wastes can be generated from the health facilities. Improper healthcare waste management is responsible for the transmission of more than 30 dangerous bloodborne pathogens. The aim of this systematic review was to evaluate the healthcare waste management practice and potential challenges in Ethiopia. RESULTS: Electronic databases and direct Google search yielded 1742 articles from which 17 studies met the inclusion criteria. The proportion of hazardous waste generated in Ethiopian healthcare facilities was unacceptably high which ranged from 21 to 70%. Most studies indicated the absence of proper waste segregation practice at the source of generation. Treatment of the healthcare waste using low combustion incinerator and/or open burning and open disposal of the incinerator ash were very common. Lack of awareness from the healthcare staff, appropriate waste management utilities and enforcement from the regulatory bodies were mainly identified as a common factor shared by most of the studies. The healthcare waste management practice in Ethiopian healthcare facilities was unsatisfactory. There should be close supervision of the waste disposal process by the regulatory bodies or other stakeholders.

Medication disposal practices: Increasing patient and clinician education on safe methods.

Recent research suggests that the nation's water supply is contaminated with trace pharmaceuticals that exert a negative environmental and public health impact. Incorrect medication disposal methods (e.g. flushing medications down the toilet or drain) are a significant factor contributing to the presence of medication compounds in the aquatic environment. In this commentary, we provide a summary of the existing data on pharmaceuticals in the nation's water as well as the role of improper medication disposal methods on water contamination. We discuss statistics on improper medication disposal practices among patients and clinicians as well as recent advances in proper medication disposal methods as a solution to this problem. Currently, many patients and clinicians are not aware of proper medication disposal practices. We summarize the importance of patient and clinician education in advancing environmental-safe medication disposal methods.

[Responsible management of dental amalgam mercury: a review of its impact on health]. / Manejo responsable del mercurio de la amalgama dental: una revisión sobre sus repercusiones en la salud.

This review discusses the implications of dental amalgam used in dentistry. We first focus on the status of the fetus, which is the most vulnerable to mercury exposure from maternal dental amalgams because of the chronic form and potential magnitude of exposure. And second, our work covers the awareness of environmental repercussions involved with continued use of this restorative material, a persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic chemical, when best management practices (BMPs) of mercury from the WHO and the American Dental Association are not followed. Although the use of dental amalgam is in decline in the public and private sectors, it is necessary that the measures disseminated by the WHO on BMPs are implemented by professional dentists and taught by academic institutions that may continue to teach its use. It is also essential to promote from the undergraduate level the ethical values and responsibility to health and the environment, considering that the poor handling of mercury contributes to the global burden of environmental mercury. Finally, the findings support important modifications in the clinical field, the principle of precaution, and logistical aspects of the profession in the process of reducing and eventually eliminating the use of mercury.

An ethical framework for the disposal of autologous stem cells.

The disposal of haematopoietic stem cells stored for autologous transplantation purposes becomes a problem for hospitals when the conditions for their preservation cease to exist. When these cells have been stored for a considerable time the problem often becomes an ethical one involving informed consent and is linked to at least two simultaneous circumstances: (i) the indications regarding disposal contained in available informed consent papers are either absent or too generic; (ii) the person who provided the sample can no longer be traced. This article proposes and discusses some of the ethical criteria for addressing this problem on the basis of the so-called "principles" of North American bioethics, and compares them with some of the principles and values proposed in other models of bioethics.

Gerenciamento de resíduos de serviços de saúde: entre o discurso e a prática: estudo de casos e pesquisa-ação no Acre / Waste management of health services between theory and practice a case study and research action in the state of Acre

A proximidade entre a teoria e a prática no manejo dos resíduos de serviços de saúde (RSS) é fator preponderante à obtenção de um adequado gerenciamento por parte dos estabelecimentos assistenciais de saúde, frente à responsabilidade legal de gerenciar seus resíduos. A discussão que envolve os RSS reside em questões relevantes, tais como: a crescente geração de resíduos; o potencial poluidor e contaminante dos resíduos sólidos; a obrigatoriedade legal de um plano de gerenciamento; o descumprimento da obrigatoriedade supracitada, por parte de muitos estabelecimentos de saúde; e a descontinuidade de programas e ações exitosos. Esta pesquisa analisa o gerenciamento de resíduos sólidos gerados na atenção à saúde em estabelecimentos de diferentes complexidades, a partir da análise do discurso e da prática do manejo dos resíduos gerados na Fundação Hospital Estadual do Acre (FUNDHACRE) e na Unidade de Pronto Atendimento Tucumã (UPA-Tucumã), na Cidade de Rio Branco, Estado do Acre. A pesquisa é de caráter exploratório e descritivo. Em 1ª etapa houve um estudo de casos e em 2ª etapa uma pesquisa-ação, através de uma intervenção participativa do pesquisador na investigação; ocorrido de outubro/2008 a fevereiro/2011. Verificou-se que a FUNDHACRE possui um plano de gerenciamento de resíduos em desconformidade com as recomendações e exigências legais; também foram constatadas inadequações em sua prática; enquanto que a UPA-Tucumã, até então, não possuía um plano de gerenciamento. A partir da pesquisa-ação foi proposta uma atualização e ajuste do plano de gerenciamento da FUNDHACRE; também foi elaborado um plano piloto de gerenciamento de resíduos para a UPA-Tucumã. Constatou-se um acentuado distanciamento entre o discurso e a prática no gerenciamento dos RSS nos dois estabelecimentos investigados. Imprescindível maior envolvimento dos administradores para as questões relacionadas aos resíduos; ajustes na prática do manejo dos resíduos; programa de capacitação continuada; atenção especial à segregação, armazenamento, tratamento e disposição final dos resíduos; acompanhamento e fiscalização das ações. Por fim, é importante a somatória de esforços que reúna o conhecimento acadêmico, através das Instituições de Ensino e Pesquisa, ao conhecimento técnico/prático daqueles que são os protagonistas do manejo de resíduos, objetivando a intervenção positiva do discurso na prática do gerenciamento de resíduos de serviços de saúde.

Culture clash on consent.

All research on human subjects requires their informed consent. Obtaining valid consent from isolated minorities can be particularly challenging, but scientists need to avoid the temptingly easy way out, so as to prevent further exclusion of these vulnerable populations from biomedical research.

Surgical research in the UK.

This review focuses on the history of, and recent developments in, the law and ethics of research with practical advice for surgeons conducting clinical research. Legal references apply to England and Wales or to Scotland, but the underlying ethical principles reflect modern approaches taken internationally.

Returned medicines: waste or a wasted opportunity?

BACKGROUND: Re-use of unused medicines returned from patients is currently considered unethical in the UK and these are usually destroyed by incineration. Previous studies suggest that many of these medicines may be in a condition suitable for re-use. METHODS: All medicines returned over two months to participating community pharmacies and GP surgeries in Eastern Birmingham PCT were assessed for type, quantity and value. A registered pharmacist assessed packs against set criteria to determine the suitability for possible re-use. RESULTS: Nine hundred and thirty-four return events were made from 910 patients, comprising 3765 items worth pound 33,608. Cardiovascular drugs (1003, 27%) and those acting on the CNS (884, 24%) were most prevalent. Returned packs had a median of 17 months remaining before expiry and one-quarter of packs (1248 out of 4291) were suitable for possible re-use. One-third of those suitable for re-use (476 out of 1248) contained drugs in the latest WHO Essential Drugs List. CONCLUSION: Unused medicines are returned in substantial quantities and have considerable financial value, with many in a condition suitable for re-use. We consider it appropriate to reopen the debate on the potential for re-using these medicines in developing countries where medicines are not widely available and also within the UK.

[Patients' rights concerning their biological samples: different legal opinions]. / Los derechos del paciente sobre su muestra biológica: distintas opiniones jurisprudenciales.

In these pages, my wish is to highlight the legislative lagoon in our juridical frame related to the storage and use from the biological sample extracted from the patient (source subject) in an assistance process and the rights he has over it. This situation has led us to have different judgements everytime that a case like this has been judged.