title: Use of an in-house-built ribavirin aerosol evacuation system to control incidental employee exposure to ribavirin aerosol.
abstract: Ongoing controversy regarding the hazards of exposure of healthcare workers to ribavirin aerosol led to the design and evaluation of a ribavirin aerosol evacuation system that scavenges the excess ribavirin. An oxyhood was placed within a croupette oxygen and cool mist tent. The tent was placed under negative pressure, using the hospital wall suction. Air samples were taken to determine ambient air concentrations and patient exposure concentrations and were compared to airborne ribavirin concentrations that occurred during administration of ribavirin without an evacuation system. The ribavirin evacuation system reduced ribavirin ambient air concentrations from 54 ug/m3 (mean) to 11 ug/m3 (mean) without reducing patient exposure concentrations. The results suggest that the system evaluated is an efficient and inexpensive means of reducing incidental employee exposure to ribavirin aerosol.
authors.affiliation: University of Alberta Hospitals, Edmonton, Canada.
authors.forename: B A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Mueller
authors.forename: V K
authors.initials: VK
authors.lastname: Waldon
mesh_terms: D000336:Aerosols; D000416:Alberta; D002648:Child; D017743:Equipment Reuse; D006776:Hospitals, Pediatric; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008452:Maximum Allowable Concentration; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000517:prevention & control*; D010564:Personnel, Hospital; D018357:Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections / Q000188:drug therapy; D012254:Ribavirin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000032:analysis; D014691:Ventilation / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods