Environmental health: biomedical waste, sharps: practice question

A PSM question in the style of the NEET PG paper. Answer it first, then read why the right option is right and why each of the others is wrong.

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PSM · Environmental health: biomedical waste, sharps

Sample item

After an injection round, a nurse needs to discard used needles, scalpel blades and used suture needles. Which container is correct under the Bio-Medical Waste Management Rules 2016?

ARed bagBYellow bagCBlue cardboard box with a linerDWhite translucent puncture-proof, leak-proof, tamper-proof container

Original practice item, not a recalled exam question. Nothing here is recorded.

The answer and the reasoning

D. White translucent puncture-proof, leak-proof, tamper-proof container

Waste sharps, including needles, syringes with fixed needles, scalpel blades and other metal items, go into a white translucent puncture-proof, leak-proof and tamper-proof container. They are treated by autoclaving or dry heat sterilisation followed by shredding, mutilation or encapsulation. Needle-stick injuries are a key occupational risk.

Option by option

A. Red bag
A red bag could be punctured and does not protect handlers from sharps.
B. Yellow bag
A yellow bag is for anatomical, soiled and expired medicine waste.
C. Blue cardboard box with a liner
A blue box is for glass items and metallic body implants.
D. White translucent puncture-proof, leak-proof, tamper-proof container (correct)
Correct. White translucent containers hold waste sharps.

Source note: Original NextPrep sample item — pending expert review. This item is original practice material awaiting independent expert review, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.

Questions about this PSM question

What is the answer to this PSM question?

The best answer is D, White translucent puncture-proof, leak-proof, tamper-proof container. Waste sharps, including needles, syringes with fixed needles, scalpel blades and other metal items, go into a white translucent puncture-proof, leak-proof and tamper-proof container.

Why is "Red bag" not the answer?

A red bag could be punctured and does not protect handlers from sharps.

Why is "Yellow bag" not the answer?

A yellow bag is for anatomical, soiled and expired medicine waste.

Why is "Blue cardboard box with a liner" not the answer?

A blue box is for glass items and metallic body implants.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Environmental health: biomedical waste, sharps in PSM. They are treated by autoclaving or dry heat sterilisation followed by shredding, mutilation or encapsulation. Needle-stick injuries are a key occupational risk.

How hard is this question?

We tag it as an application question: it asks you to use a fact on a patient or a finding. The tag is our own editorial judgement, not an official difficulty rating, so read the reason for every option, not only the answer.

How should I study Environmental health: biomedical waste, sharps?

Practise biostatistics with small calculations until sensitivity, predictive values and risk measures are automatic. Then use the flashcards and the other PSM questions on this site to test what stuck.

Is this a real NEET PG question?

No. It is an original practice item (editorial status: sample, version 1). NextPrep does not publish recalled or leaked questions, and independent faculty review of this item has not been completed yet, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.