Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34890437›Full record

ArticlePloS one2021

Disposal habits and microbial load of solid medical waste in sub-district healthcare facilities and households in Yilo-Krobo municipality, Ghana.

Fredrick Egbenyah, Emilia Asuquo Udofia, Jesse Ayivor, Mary-Magdalene Osei, John Tetteh, Patience B Tetteh-Quarcoo, Eric Sampane-Donkor

Open access · goldAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in PloS one, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed
1.6field-weighted citation impact, top 16% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed, 12 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. A One-Health Perspective onEnvironmental health insights · 2026
    Review
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Fredrick EgbenyahInstitute of Environment and Sanitation Studies, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana.
Emilia Asuquo UdofiaDepartment of Community Health, University of Ghana Medical School, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Korle Bu, Accra, Ghana.ORCID 0000-0002-7279-1839
Jesse AyivorInstitute of Environment and Sanitation Studies, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana.
Mary-Magdalene OseiDepartment of Medical Microbiology, University of Ghana Medical School, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Korle Bu, Accra, Ghana.
John TettehDepartment of Community Health, University of Ghana Medical School, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Korle Bu, Accra, Ghana.ORCID 0000-0002-1986-4103
Patience B Tetteh-QuarcooDepartment of Medical Microbiology, University of Ghana Medical School, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Korle Bu, Accra, Ghana.
Eric Sampane-DonkorDepartment of Medical Microbiology, University of Ghana Medical School, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Korle Bu, Accra, Ghana.
University of Ghana · GH

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The study aimed to assess disposal practices and quantify the microbial load present in SMW from ten sub-district level healthcare facilities and 385 households in Yilo Krobo municipality, Ghana. Disposal of solid medical waste (SMW) was assessed by questionnaire-based surveys, unstructured interviews and field observations. Microbiological analysis identified species and counts of bacteria present in SMW from both sources. Sociodemographic factors influencing the method of SMW disposal in households were evaluated using logistic regression analysis, with statistical significance set at p<0.05. Open burning (29%), burying (25%) and disposal at a dumpsite (49%) were common methods used by households to discard SMW. SMW disposal at a dumpsite was associated with age of respondents in households. Older people (50+ years) were three times more likely to place SMW in household waste later discarded at a dumpsite, compared to younger persons (20-30 years) [a0R, 95%CI = 3.37, 1.41-8.02]. In sub-district level healthcare facilities, open burning and burying were the most common methods used. Bacillus subtilis, Klebsiella pneumonia, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Clostridium tetani, Enterococcus faecalis, Acinetobacter spp. Escherichia coli, Bacillus cereus and Enterococcus faecium) were bacteria identified in SMW recovered from both the healthcare facilities and the households. Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter spp. and Clostridium tetani were found exclusively in untreated SMW generated in the healthcare facilities. Bacillus spp. and Pseudomonas spp. were found in one sample of treated SMW. The microbial load in SMW from healthcare facilities and households ranged from 0.036 x 103cfc/mg to 0.167 x 103 cfc/mg and from 0.118 x 103cfc/mg to 0.125 x 103cfc/mg respectively. This highlights the need for institutionalizing appropriate treatment methods in sub-district level facilities or strengthening the linkages with higher level facilities to ensure regular and adequate treatment of SMW. Public guidance on management of SMW generated in households which is context specific should also be provided.

Indexed as

AdultBacteriaCross-Sectional StudiesFamily CharacteristicsFemaleGhanaHealth FacilitiesHumansMaleMedical WasteMedical Waste DisposalRefuse DisposalSociodemographic FactorsSolid WasteWaste ManagementYoung AdultMedical WasteMedical Waste DisposalSolid Waste

Identifiers

PMID34890437
PMCPMC8664185
OpenAlexW4200102829

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.