P-232 Evaluation of Surface Contamination and Dermal Exposure to 5-Fluorouracile in a Healthcare Setting

Introduction 5-FU is one of the most used anticancer drugs (AD) and monitoring the exposure is fundamental to protect healthcare personnel. In this study, the contamination by 5-FU and the related dermal exposure were evaluated in different hospital locations during the preparation and administrations of AD. Methods Contamination was evaluated collecting 52 surfaces samples, before and after the preparation of AD, in the pharmacy department (PD) and in the administration sites (AS); 66 samples were collected from the hands and from the gloves (internal and external) of 9 pharmacists for the assessment of dermal exposure. Results 5-FU mean concentration on surfaces of PD before 5-FU preparation was 9±7 pg/cm2, which increased to 31±19 pg/cm2 after preparation. The highest contaminations were found on external packing of 5-FU infusion-bags and on the vials (347 and 177800 pg/cm2). On the surfaces of AS, the mean concentration of 5-FU was 29±12 pg/cm2 and 40±19 pg/cm2, respectively before and after the administration. The mean concentration of 5-FU found on external gloves of pharmacist was 100±94 pg/cm2 (33% of samples below LOQ), while on the internal gloves it was 2±1 pg/cm2 (76% below LOQ). On the hands, only 3 samples had detectable level (0.54, 1.18 and 0.38 pg/cm2). Discussion and conclusion Despite ubiquitous presence of 5-FU, this study showed that good practice and cleaning procedure were able to reduce the surface contamination below the proposed limit value (100 pg/cm2). Only vials and infusion-bags were highly contaminated; however, the proper use of PPEs by pharmacists determined a low risk of dermal exposure.