Hazardous Chemicals in Healthcare
Introduction
Healthcare workers who prepare or administer hazardous drugs or who work in areas where these drugs are used may be exposed to these agents in the workplace. Some examples of hazardous drugs include those used for cancer therapy, some antiviral drugs, hormone agents, and bioengineered drugs.
Healthcare employees are also exposed to hazardous chemicals, such as pesticides and disinfectants.
About 8 million U.S. healthcare workers are potentially exposed to these hazardous drugs and chemicals. At-risk workers include:
- pharmacy and nursing personnel
- physicians
- operating room personnel
- environmental services workers
- workers in research laboratories
- veterinary care workers
- shipping and receiving personnel
- janitorial staff
Exposure to hazardous drugs can result in adverse health effects in healthcare workers. In fact, published studies have shown that workplace exposures to hazardous drugs can cause a variety of health effects.
As the graphic shows, acute health effects usually occur rapidly as a result of short-term exposures, whereas chronic health effects generally occur as a result of long-term exposure and last longer.
Here are some examples of health effects from hazardous drugs:
- skin rashes
- adverse reproductive outcomes, including:
- infertility
- spontaneous abortions
- congenital malformations
- possibly leukemia and other cancers
The health risk depends on how much exposure a worker has to these drugs and how toxic they are.
Knowledge Check Choose the best answer for the question.
1-1. The health risk of hazardous drugs depends on how much _______ a worker has to these drugs and how ______ they are.
You forgot to answer the question!