Notes from the Field: Respiratory Symptoms and Skin Irritation Among Hospital Workers Using a New Disinfection Product – Pennsylvania, 2015

Details

• Personal Author:
  Casey ML ; Cox-Ganser, Jean M. ; Cummings, Kristin J. ; Edwards, Nicole T. ; Fedan, Kathleen B. ; Hawley B
• Description:
  In March 2014, a new disinfection product, consisting of hydrogen peroxide, peroxyacetic acid, and acetic acid, was introduced at a Pennsylvania hospital to aid in the control of health care-associated infections. The product is an Environmental Protection Agency-registered non-bleach sporicide advertised as a one-step cleaner, disinfectant, and deodorizer. According to the manufacturer's safety data sheet, the product requires no personal protective equipment when it is diluted with water by an automated dispenser before use. On January 30, 2015, CDC's National Institute for Occupational Health (NIOSH) received a confidential employee request to conduct a health hazard evaluation at the hospital. The request cited concerns about exposure of hospital environmental services staff members to the product and reported symptoms among persons who had used the product that included eye and nasal problems, asthma-like symptoms, shortness of breath, skin problems, wheeze, chest tightness, and cough. In response to the request, NIOSH gathered information by telephone and e-mail in February and March and visited the hospital on April 9 to inform the design of an air sampling evaluation and health interview questionnaire. Pilot air sampling was conducted on July 29, including the collection of full-shift, time-weighted average personal air samples from five workers for measurement of hydrogen peroxide, acetic acid, and peroxyacetic acid. Erratum: Vol. 65, No. 15. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2018 Sep; 67(36):1021. In this report, in the fourth paragraph, the fourth sentence should have read "Full-shift air sample results for hydrogen peroxide ranged from <11 parts per billion (ppb) to 511 ppb; for acetic acid, from <8.8 ppb to 319.4 ppb; and for peroxyacetic acid, from <2.2 ppb to 48 ppb." [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Asthma Asthma, Occupational Communicable Diseases Disinfectants Eye Health Care Facilities Workforce And Services Occupational Health Peroxides Respiratory System Respiratory Tract Diseases Safety Sense Organs Sense Organs / Injuries Skin

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• Keywords:
  Acetic Acid Acetic Acids Chemical Cleaning Cleaning Compounds Eye Irritants Health Care Health Care Facilities Hydrogen Peroxide Infection Control Infection Prevention Nasal Disorders Respiratory Irritants Respiratory System Disorders Skin Irritants

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• Series:
  Weekly Report: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR)
• ISSN:
  0149-2195 (print) ; 1545-861X (digital)
• Publisher:
  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (U.S.)
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  OSHA Region 3 ; West Virginia
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  RHD - Respiratory Health Division
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  400-401
• Volume:
  65
• Issue:
  15
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20047894
• Citation:
  MMWR 2016 Apr; 65(15):400-401
• Contact Point Address:
  Brie Hawley, Respiratory Health Division, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, CDC, Morgantown, West Virginia
• Email:
  ygd2@cdc.gov
• CAS Registry Number:
  Acetic acid (CAS RN 64-19-7) ; Hydrogen peroxide (CAS RN 7722-84-1)
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2016
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Source Full Name:
  Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR)
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:91e42e76a32dc54872a6eb981c1944dcbf90fc2c0eee41e8b10de3c01b2fe07600749e74dacb5af255fdd5b2f15bb1348d2af08bf0242e47bef0f6bf701ad3e7
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/183205/cdc_183205_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 298.08 KB ]