Research of workplace contamination and occupational exposure of healthcare professionals to antineoplastic drugs
Authors:
L. Doležalová 1; P. Odráška 1,2,3; L. Gorná 1; J. Kuta 3; M. Oravec 3; M. Prudilová 1; R. Vejpustková 1; L. Bláha 2,3
Authors‘ workplace:
Ústavní lékárna, Masarykův onkologický ústav, Brno, vedoucí organizace prof. MUDr. Jiří Vorlíček, CSc.
1; Oddělení laboratorní medicíny, Masarykův onkologický ústav, Brno, doc. MUDr. Dalibor Valík, Ph. D.
2; RECETOX (Research Centre for Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology)
Přírodovědecká fakulta, Masarykova univerzita, Brno, ředitel prof. RNDr. Ivan Holoubek, CSc.
3
Published in:
Pracov. Lék., 61, 2009, No. 3, s. 117-122.
Category:
Original Papers
Overview
The aim of this study was to investigate the occupational exposure of healthcare professionals to cytotoxic drugs. Our study focused on monitoring of surface contamination of preparation and administration working areas at Masaryk Memorial Cancer Institute, Brno. For this purpose, the most exposed working places were wiped and analyzed for the presence of cyclophosphamide, 5-fluorouracil and platinum containing drugs. Determination of cyclophosphamide was based on high performance liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS) and platinum-containing compounds were analysed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Determination of 5-fluorouracil by high performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection (HPLC-UV) showed poor selectivity and robustness. During the monitoring, 163 samples were collected and 130 of them (80%) were positive for at least one of the studied analytes. In total, 92 samples were positive for both cyclophosphamide and platinum together. Considering two types of the working areas monitored (preparation vs. administration departments), the contamination levels were found to be similar and generally comparable with the situation reported in other industrial countries. The study contributed to the identification of major sources of contamination and served as one of the primary impulses leading to better and safer management during handling cytotoxic drug.
Key words:
antineoplastic agents, cytotoxic drugs, occupational exposure, surface contamination
Sources
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Hygiene and epidemiology Hyperbaric medicine Occupational medicineArticle was published in
Occupational Medicine
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