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[Risks associated with exposure to cytostatics in health care personnel]
F J Deschamps1, V Marinutti-Liberge
1Laboratoire de Médecine du Travail et des Risques Professionnels, Faculté de Médecine, 51, rue Cognacq-Jay, F51100 Reims. frederic.deschamps@univ-reims.fr
Abstract:
RISKS RELATED TO HANDLING: Cytostatic drugs (CS) destroy malignant cells. However, they also have deleterious effects on healthy cells. Manufacturing staff and nurses may suffer from side effects when handling these molecules. WHAT TYPE OF RISKS?: Laboratory staff and nurses handling these molecules are exposed to sub-therapeutic concentrations of these products, which induce little known biological effects. Cytostatics can provoke allergies, mutations and probably have carcinogenic and teratogenic effects.
Assessment Of Exposure:
Exposure can be assessed by calculating the index of cytostatic contact. Medical surveillance includes measurement of he surrounding metrology and specific biometry.
Prevention:
Basic preventive measures include the wearing of masks, gloves and overalls and the installation of vertical laminar flow hoods.