The manufacturing of hazardous drugs is increasing day by day, and the essential elements of these toxic drugs produce very effective medicines which can be used to cure many fatal diseases and also they are very dangerous to humanity as well. The healthcare organizations are much concerned about the effects caused by the proximity to these drugs by the worker who deals with these medicines. First, let’s define what hazardous drugs are, what their causes to other individuals are, and how to prevent exposures.
What are Hazardous Drugs?
Hazardous drugs are drugs that are potentially toxic to human organ systems or have the potential to cause fetal abnormalities. All chemotherapeutic agents are considered dangerous, as are some other medications such as gancyclovir and ribavirin. These drugs need to be handled safely in preparation, administration, and disposal.
Potential Symptoms of Exposures to Hazardous Drugs
Around 8 million U.S. medical workers are exposed to hazardous drugs, including local drug stores, pharmacies, nursing staff, doctors, hospitals, environmental workers, and laboratories.
Being exposed to hazardous drugs can cause dangerous health issues. For example, symptoms, when someone is in contact with these drugs, are skin rashes, adverse reproductive outcomes (including infertility, spontaneous abortions, and congenital malformations), and possibly leukemia and other cancers. The health risk depends on how much exposure a worker has to these drugs and how toxic they are. Workers can be protected from exposures to hazardous drugs through engineering and administrative controls, and proper protective equipment.
How to Prevent Hazardous Drug Spills From Spreading?
Unfortunately, hazardous drug spills do occur from dropped vials & bags, punctured IV bags, and sprays. To prevent hazardous drug spills from spreading to others, this is where spill kits come into play. Spill kits can include utility gloves, disposable towels, thick plastic waste bags, eye protection, face masks, and much more. To increase the effectiveness of cleaning the spill, here are steps a medical staff can follow:
Direct others away from the spill.
Eliminate the exposure before it spreads.
Clean up the spill area with disposable towels.
Once the spill is taken care of, place the used towels into a disposable bag.
Conclusion
We hope this article has informed you about hazardous drugs, their causes and how to prevent them from spreading to others. At DeWeese Engineering, we have hazardous drug spill kits available and for sale for healthcare organizations. If you are need of purchasing drug spill kits for your business, please don’t hesitate to contact us at (662) 892-8054 or head over to our Hazardous Drug Spill Kit Page to place your order today.
