When disposing of contaminated materials, which action is correct?

• A. Place in any trash can used for regular waste.
• B. Leave contaminated items in the resident's room until end of shift.
• C. Place in designated waste containers; do not contaminate the environment; perform hand hygiene afterward.
• D. Rinse items and reuse them for the next resident.

Answer: (C)

Contaminated materials must be contained to prevent spreading germs, so they belong in designated waste containers that are used specifically for infectious or potentially harmful waste. This keeps the environment safe and reduces exposure to others. After disposing of the items, perform hand hygiene to remove any germs you may have touched during handling. Placing contaminated items in a regular trash can can lead to cross-contamination, and leaving them in the resident’s room or rinsing and reusing contaminated items are not safe practices and violate infection-control rules.