Evaluation of the Efficacy of Additional Measures Introduced for the Protection of Healthcare Personnel Handling Antineoplastic Drugs
| Authors | |
|---|---|
| Year of publication | 2013 |
| Type | Article in Periodical |
| Magazine / Source | ANNALS OF OCCUPATIONAL HYGIENE |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Doi | http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/annhyg/mes057 |
| Field | Pharmacology and pharmaceutical chemistry |
| Keywords | chemical analysis; cytotoxic drugs; hazardous pharmaceuticals; occupational exposure; safety engineering |
| Description | Antineoplastic drugs are considered as a potential health risk to healthcare personnel, due to their adverse effects. The objective of the study was to compare the surface contamination level of the conventional preparation room and outpatient clinic before and after the implementation of a set of additional protective measures. To determine the surface contamination level with antineoplastic drugs, cyclophosphamide and platinum were determined in wipe samples with high performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry.In the preparation room, depending on the sampling spot and analyte, median concentrations ranged from 5 to 267 pg cm(2) and from 2 to 368 pg cm(2) before and after implementation of the measures, respectively. In the outpatient clinic, median concentrations ranged from 5 to 5310 pg cm(2) and from < 0.2 to 574 pg cm(2) before and after implementation of the measures, respectively. Depending on the sampling spot, median contamination of the outpatient clinic with cyclophosphamide and platinum was reduced by 5799% and 6198%, respectively.The measures implemented in the outpatient clinic were shown to reduce workplace contamination effectively. Therefore, they can be recommended also for other workplaces where antineoplastic drugs are administered. In contrast, measures implemented in the preparation room, where relatively strict regulations had already been adopted before the study, were less effective. To decrease the actual contamination of the preparation room, other protective measures (e.g. closed-system transfer devices) should be considered. |
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