Abstract

Introduction. Hospitals use large varieties of substances for medical purposes such as in diagnostics, research, and upkeep of care materials. Diagnostic materials/substances, disinfectants, and excreted non-metabolized pharmaceuticals by patients, reach the wastewater. This form of elimination may generate risks for aquatic organisms, the emergence of antibiotic resistance, and human health problems. Aim. The aim of this study was to synthesize the contribution of liquid hospital effluents to the fragility of health in general and the emergence of bacterial resistance in particular. Methods. The data were collected from science’s database using keywords. Results. The results showed that the heavy metal residues in these effluents and their bacterial selection mechanism reduce biodiversity, increase the vulnerability of urban and peri-urban populations, and promote the proliferation of multi-drug resistant bacteria. The threat is particularly worrying with the advent of resistance to the beta-lactams. Recommendation. Intervention strategies must be integrated and targeted at those primarily responsible for the management of hospital liquid effluents and the systems for handling these effluents.