Published in May this year, the study “Use of a closed-system drug transfer device reduces contamination with doxorubicin during bolus injection", at the British Journal of Nursing, written by Tom Marler-Hausen, Chris Holt, Christine Headley and Paul Sessink, managed to demonstrate the reduction of occupational risk to health professionals involved in the handling and administration of antineoplastic drugs.
The article reports that organizations like National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) in 2004, and the Society of Oncology Pharmacy Practitioners Standards Committee, in 2007, tried to inform about the damage to professionals through specific studies carried out, as well as several other studies cited by the authors throughout the referenced article.
According to them, the process of intravenous bolus administration involves environmental damage with the dispersion of aerosols at the time of removing the syringe cap, connecting the syringe to the access and disconnecting the syringe after use. The article also reports that during the execution of these procedures, small escapes of medication may occur and that, in particular, with doxorubicin it was more easily observed due to the red color.
In the document there is a quote that in England, the N committeeHS Pharmaceutical Quality Assurance (NHSPQA) published recommendations for the use of closed system connectors on syringes, based on the publications of Santillo et al, 2018, justifying this recommendation with the aim of reducing the risk of contamination by drugs during administration. The study was based on the information contained in this document.
Conclusions highlighted in the study:
- Nurses are at risk when administering bolus antineoplastic drugs (IV)
- Drug leaks were reported frequently, as the study points out
- After handling, the external part of the syringes was contaminated with the medication
- Gloves have become the means of protection for health professionals with exposure to medicines due to the “contaminated” syringe
- The use of closed system connectors prevents contamination during bolus administration
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