Occupational exposure to cyclophosphamide in nurses at a single center.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate biological and environmental exposure to cyclophosphamide in nurses at a single institution.


METHODS
Biological exposure to cyclophosphamide in nurses administering cyclophosphamide compared with two control groups: nononcology nurses not administering cyclophosphamide and community members without recent hospital exposure. Environmental exposure to chemotherapy was measured using surface wipes taken from oncology and nononcology areas in the hospital.


RESULTS
More than one third of all nurses and no community controls tested positive for urinary cyclophosphamide. Oncology and nurse controls tested positive in equal numbers. Surface wipes were positive only in the oncology ward.


CONCLUSIONS
We have demonstrated elevated levels of cyclophosphamide in one third of all nurses and cyclophosphamide contamination of surfaces within the oncology patient environment. This suggests that environmental contamination plays a major role in biological exposure to cyclophosphamide.
From the Department of Pediatrics (Drs Ramphal and Osmond), University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; and Pharmacy Department (Ms Bains and Dr Vaillancourt) and Clinical Research Unit (Dr Osmond and Dr Barrowman), Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
Raveena
R
Ramphal
Tejinder
T
Bains
Régis
R
Vaillancourt
Martin H
MH
Osmond
Nicholas
N
Barrowman
D018906:Antineoplastic Agents, Alkylating / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000652:urine*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003520:Cyclophosphamide / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000652:urine*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D019570:Inhalation Exposure / Q000032:analysis; D008297:Male; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000032:analysis*; D009859:Oncology Nursing; D016522:Oncology Service, Hospital; D010362:Patients' Rooms; D011482:Protective Devices / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012869:Skin Absorption
D018906:Antineoplastic Agents, Alkylating; D003520:Cyclophosphamide