title: [Occupational exposure to antineoplastic drugs in a hospital setting: biological and environmental monitoring].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To estimate the occupational exposure of hospital personnel handling antineoplastics drugs using a highly sensitive and specific analitycal method in biological and environmental samples.
  
  
  METHODS
  To develop analitycal methods for the biological and environmental monitoring of more than one substance.
  
  
  METHODS
  Five departments of the Policlinico Sant'Orsola-Malpighi (Bologna, Italy) involved in the preparation and administration of antineoplastic drugs.
  
  
  METHODS
  50 nurses handling antineoplastics drugs.
  
  
  METHODS
  Evaluation of the occupational exposure of hospital personnel handling and administering anticancer drug cocktails.
  
  
  RESULTS
  19 of 50 subjects were positive to biological monitoring. Three were positive for MTX only, 11 for CP only and 5 subjects were positive for both. Urinary MTX levels ranged from 0.3 to 2.0 ppb, CP ranged fom 0.06 to 10.0 ppb. Wipe tests showed a higher contamination on the hoods working tray (where drugs are prepared), suggesting that the organization layout can affect the surface contamination level. Samples from each department resulted positive for at least one of three drugs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The analytical methods developed allow sensitive and specific determination of indicators of internal and external dose. Biological monitoring is of primary importance for assessing the real espoxure of hospital personnel during the preparation and administration of the drugs. Environmental monitoring stresses the importance to observe the Guidelines for standard operating procedures and the importance of protective disposables to reduce exposure and the associated health risk.
authors.affiliation: Servizio di sicurezza, igiene e medicina del lavoro, Università di Bologna, Ospedale Sant'Orsola-Malpighi. anna.barbieri3@unibo.it
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Barbieri
authors.forename: Maria Concetta
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Nucci
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sabatini
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Risi
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bolognesi
authors.forename: Annainaria
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Colacci
authors.forename: Francesco Saverio
authors.initials: FS
authors.lastname: Violante
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000652:urine*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D006801:Humans; D009726:Nurses; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000032:analysis*; D010564:Personnel, Hospital
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents