In the interest of patients: an evidence-based assessment of the safety of vinyl infusion care devices.
Decisions in virtually every sector of modern healthcare are increasingly guided by the doctrine of evidence-based medicine. This includes the choice of materials and medical devices used in life-sustaining procedures such as infusion therapy. Environmental activists contend that devices made from plasticized vinyl, which are ubiquitous in healthcare settings, constitute a health risk to patients and should be deselected for these and other procedures. An evidence-based assessment refutes these allegations and makes clear that for most applications, vinyl remains superior to alternative materials in terms of safety and performance.
Mastorovich
Mary Jane
MJ
Health Systems Administration program at Georgetown University, USA. mastoma@aol.com
D003257:Consumer Product Safety; D003662:Decision Theory; D004051:Diethylhexyl Phthalate / Q000633:toxicity; D004147:Dioxins / Q000633:toxicity; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000032:analysis; D004869:Equipment Safety; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D006801:Humans; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous / Q000295:instrumentation*; D008422:Materials Testing; D018570:Risk Assessment; D017751:Safety Management; D013673:Technology Assessment, Biomedical; D014753:Vinyl Compounds / Q000737:chemistry / Q000592:standards / Q000633:toxicity*
D004147:Dioxins; D014753:Vinyl Compounds; D004051:Diethylhexyl Phthalate