Occupational Exposure to Cyclophosphamide in Nurses at a Single Center

Publié le 10 février 2014 • Catégorie(s) : Risques chimiques • Mot(s) clef(s) : médicaments dangereux, personnel infirmier

Auteur Raveena Ramphal
Auteur Tejinder Bains
Auteur Régis Vaillancourt
Auteur Martin H Osmond
Auteur Nicholas Barrowman
Publication Journal of occupational and environmental medicine / American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine
Date Jan 29, 2014
Résumé 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. CONCLUSION:: 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.