title: Acute effects from occupational exposure to antineoplastic drugs in a para-professional health care worker.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  While health risks from occupational exposure of nursing and pharmacy staff have been recognized, exposure of para-professional health care workers (HCW) has received little attention.
  
  
  METHODS
  This case report describes a patient care assistant who developed allergic reactions subsequent to exposure to urine of oncology patients who had been treated with antineoplastics.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The patient care assistant on two occasions developed a pruritic, disseminated rash shortly after emptying commodes containing the urine of oncology patients treated with Vincristine and Adriamycin (doxorubicin).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Increased attention should be focused on the occupational exposures of para-professional HCWs to potentially hazardous antineoplastics.
authors.affiliation: Occupational Medicine, Total Care Occupational Medicine, Somerset, New Jersey, USA.
authors.forename: Eliot
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kusnetz
authors.forename: Marian
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Condon
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000506:poisoning*; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000506:poisoning*; D003875:Drug Eruptions / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009728:Nursing Assistants; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D011537:Pruritus / Q000139:chemically induced; D014481:United States; D014750:Vincristine / Q000506:poisoning*
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D014750:Vincristine; D004317:Doxorubicin