ON3 Aseptics/Chemo Hazards

Contamination/L
• Viable (❌): Bacteria, fungi, and viruses.
Administration of viable material could result in fever; infection; septicemia; multi-organ failure; death.
• Non-viable: ❌ particulate matter e.g. plastic or rubber material, glass shards, and chemical precipitates.
Non-viable material may ❌ vessels e.g. if >12 μm they may become trapped in the lungs leading to respiratory failure and death.

Clean air eg a ❌-free working environment, is made by drawing laminar air into the ❌, through the ❌ system.
• HEPA-filtered air (❌ filter)
• High airflow, ❌ filtered and replenished

Critical Points on a Syringe:
Any ‘connection’ point:
• Tip of ❌
• Hub of needle & tip of filter
• Hub of filter & tip of syringe
• Syringe ❌

Pharmacist involvement:
• ❌ of cytotoxics
– Preserve safety of self and product
• ❌ of cytotoxics
– Calculations
– Precise and accurate ❌ must be given
• Advising nursing staff how to administer cytotoxic products
• Providing medicines information and advice

Administration of any IV medicine carries a risk of extravasation (❌ from vein into tissue). This is NOT a side effect. Regarding extravasation:
• Common term is “tissued”
• Can result in pain, swelling, and ❌ at the injection site
• If the drug is a ❌ (causes blistering) it can cause severe tissue damage and necrosis (and can continue for months after injury)
• Oncology nurses take ❌ care to ensure extravasation does not occur
• Patients must be educated to report any discomfort and/or pain ❌ administration

Central lines (catheters for administration)
• Via jugular or subclavian ❌ with tip at superior vena cava (e.g. Hickman port, double/single lumen).
• PICC (peripherally-inserted central catheter), starts at the ❌ and is placed centrally

Cytotoxic drugs are potentially lethal especially if delivered via the ❌ route.
• Dose varies ❌ between intramuscular (IM), intravenous (IV), and intrathecal (IT – the space that holds the ❌) routes
• The formulation may vary between routes
eg ❌ is often given intrathecally, but ❌ is fatal by this route