Measuring extent of surface contamination produced by the handling of antineoplastic drugs in low- to middle-income country oncology health care settings.
Antineoplastic drugs are known to cause detrimental effects to health care workers who are exposed through work tasks. Environmental monitoring studies are an excellent approach to measure the extent of surface contamination produced by the handling of antineoplastic drugs in the workplace and to assess the potential for occupational exposures in oncology health care settings. The main aim of the study was to establish the extent of surface contamination produced by the handling of antineoplastic drugs in a limited-resource oncology health care facility in Colombia by conducting an environmental monitoring study using affordable analytical instrumentation. Contamination with antineoplastic drugs was widespread in the health care facility under evaluation, which could result in health care worker exposure to antineoplastic drugs. A comprehensive review of current safety guidelines and protocols including assessment of adherence in the health care facility should be done.
a Department of Pharmacy , School of Pharmacy, University of Concepción, Chile Barrio Universitario S/N , Concepción , Chile.
Claudio
C
Müller-Ramírez
b Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Maryland , Baltimore , Maryland , USA.
Katherine
K
Squibb
b Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Maryland , Baltimore , Maryland , USA.
Melissa
M
McDiarmid
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000032:analysis; D003105:Colombia; D003906:Developing Countries / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D006761:Hospitals / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008495:Medical Oncology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017132:Workplace
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents
Antineoplastic drugs; environmental monitoring; limited resource health care settings; wipe samples