subject: Numerous ways of Exposures to Hazardous Drugs [print this page] Earlier it was thought that the major route of exposures to hazardous drugs is the inhalation of the drug aerosols during its preparation. Mostly the nurses engaged in drug preparation became the victim of these drugs. To shun this situation, healthcare units published several safety guidelines. According to these guidelines, cytotoxic and other perilous drugs must be prepared using a biological safety cabinet in a specified area.
But according to the recent studies, there are several other routes of exposures to hazardous drugs as well. These exposures can take place during any of the drug related activity such as drug manufacture, administration, and handling, monitoring, storage, transport, distribution, disposal and waste treatment. These exposures can enter inside the body of human beings through direct skin contact, injection and ingestion. The medical staffs dealing with chemotherapy treatment have to handle cytotoxic and antineoplastic drugs that are highly lethal and when exposed can cause several health hazards.
Proper use of safety guidelines such as personal protective equipments that include special gowns, gloves, masks and respirators can minimize the risks of these harmful exposures. But the healthcare workers are not properly implementing all the safety equipments in the workplaces and as a result there are several cases of drug exposures on a daily basis. Biological safety cabinets and closed system drug transfer devices must be used while handling the perilous drugs. This will not make the surroundings contaminated and can save millions of lives. Strict adherence to all the safety guidelines and precautionary measures can effectively reduce the risks of exposures to harmful drugs.
