title: Precautionary Practices of Respiratory Therapists and Other Health-Care Practitioners Who Administer Aerosolized Medications.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Respiratory therapists (RTs) and other health-care workers are potentially exposed to a variety of aerosolized medications. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Health and Safety Practices Survey of Healthcare Workers describes current exposure control practices and barriers to using personal protective equipment during administration of selected aerosolized medications.
  
  
  METHODS
  An anonymous, multi-module, web-based survey was conducted among members of health-care professional practice organizations representing RTs, nurses, and other health-care practitioners. A module on aerosolized medications included submodules for antibiotics (amikacin, colistin, and tobramycin), pentamidine, and ribavirin.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The submodules on antibiotics, pentamidine, and ribavirin were completed by 321, 227, and 50 respondents, respectively, most of whom were RTs. The relatively low number of ribavirin respondents precluded meaningful interpretation of these data and may reflect the rare use of this drug. Consequently, analysis focused on pentamidine, classified by NIOSH as a hazardous drug, and the antibiotics amikacin, colistin, and tobramycin, which currently lack authoritative safe handling guidelines. Respondents who administered pentamidine were more likely to adhere to good work practices compared with those who administered the antibiotics. Examples included training received on safe handling procedures (75% vs 52%), availability of employer standard procedures (82% vs 55%), use of aerosol delivery devices equipped with an expiratory filter (96% vs 53%) or negative-pressure rooms (61% vs 20%), and always using respiratory protection (51% vs 13%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Despite the availability of safe handling guidelines for pentamidine, implementation was not universal, placing workers, co-workers, and even family members at risk of exposure. Although the antibiotics included in this study lack authoritative safe handling guidelines, prudence dictates that appropriate exposure controls be used to minimize exposure to the antibiotics and other aerosolized medications. Employers and employees share responsibility for ensuring that precautionary measures are taken to keep exposures to all aerosolized medications as low as practicable.
authors.affiliation: Division of Surveillance, Hazard Evaluations, and Field Studies, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Cincinnati, Ohio. rtsai@cdc.gov.
authors.forename: Rebecca J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.affiliation: Division of Surveillance, Hazard Evaluations, and Field Studies, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Cincinnati, Ohio.
authors.forename: James M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Boiano
authors.affiliation: Division of Surveillance, Hazard Evaluations, and Field Studies, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Cincinnati, Ohio.
authors.forename: Andrea L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Steege
authors.affiliation: Division of Surveillance, Hazard Evaluations, and Field Studies, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Cincinnati, Ohio.
authors.forename: Marie H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Sweeney
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000336:Aerosols / Q000592:standards*; D000583:Amikacin / Q000592:standards; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000592:standards; D003091:Colistin / Q000592:standards; D005260:Female; D019983:Guideline Adherence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000193:education / Q000592:standards; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009314:National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, U.S.; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000592:standards; D016272:Occupational Health / Q000193:education* / Q000592:standards; D010419:Pentamidine / Q000592:standards; D012138:Respiratory Therapy / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014031:Tobramycin / Q000592:standards; D014481:United States
chemical_list: D000336:Aerosols; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D010419:Pentamidine; D000583:Amikacin; D014031:Tobramycin; D003091:Colistin
keywords: aerosolized medications; antibiotics; exposure controls; pentamidine; respiratory therapists; web-based survey