Evaluation of antineoplastic drug exposure of health care workers at three university-based US cancer centers

Details

• Personal Author:
  Clark JC ; Connor, Thomas H. ; DeBord, D. Gayle ; Escalante CP ; Johnson BC ; Krieg EF Jr. ; Lees PSJ ; McDiarmid MA ; Oliver MS ; Pretty JR ; Rogers B ; Roth TS ; Toennis CA
• Description:
  Objective: This study evaluated health care worker exposure to antineoplastic drugs. Methods: A cross-sectional study examined environmental samples from pharmacy and nursing areas. A 6-week diary documented tasks involving those drugs. Urine was analyzed for two specific drugs, and blood samples were analyzed by the comet assay. Results: Sixty-eight exposed and 53 nonexposed workers were studied. Exposed workers recorded 10,000 drug-handling events during the 6-week period. Sixty percent of wipe samples were positive for at least one of the five drugs measured. Cyclophosphamide was most commonly detected, followed by 5-fluorouracil. Three of the 68 urine samples were positive for one drug. No genetic damage was detected in exposed workers using the comet assay. Conclusions: Despite following recommended safe-handling practices, workplace contamination with antineoplastic drugs in pharmacy and nursing areas continues at these locations. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Biological Factors Biomarkers Carcinogens Environmental Monitoring Epidemiology Hypersensitivity Neoplasms Occupational Health Risk Assessment Risk Factors Safety Safety Management Teratogenesis Urogenital Diseases Urogenital System Workplace

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• Keywords:
  Biological-factors Biological-monitoring Biological-systems Biological-transport Cancer-rates Carcinogenesis Carcinogenicity Chemical-hypersensitivity Drugs Exposure-assessment Exposure-levels Physiological-effects Physiological-factors Physiological-response Reproductive-hazards Reproductive-system-disorders Risk-analysis Risk-factors Safety-measures Statistical-analysis Teratogens Work-analysis Work-areas Work-environment Work-operations Work-performance Work-practices Worker-health Workplace-studies

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• ISSN:
  1076-2752
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Maryland ; North Carolina ; Ohio ; OSHA Region 3 ; OSHA Region 4 ; OSHA Region 5 ; OSHA Region 6 ; Texas
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  DART - Division of Applied Research and Technology
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  52
• Issue:
  10
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20037797
• Citation:
  J Occup Environ Med 2010 Oct; 52(10):1019-1027
• Contact Point Address:
  Thomas H. Connor, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, DART, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, MS C-23,4676 Columbia Pkwy, Cincinnati, OH 45226
• Email:
  tmc6@cdc.gov
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2011
• Performing Organization:
  Johns Hopkins University
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  20050701
• Source Full Name:
  Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine
• End Date:
  20280630
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:3b6038e01bf3ab585561f59e8f2bb7a0baead9483644d117dbcb60490b96a790f4fc039c47f638fa7acb5b5152bd4b7d1fc9f7831dee3ab290aaea2993ee92a1
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/191763/cdc_191763_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 231.83 KB ]