Acute effects from occupational exposure to antineoplastic drugs in a para‐professional health care worker

BACKGROUND: While health risks from occupational exposure of nursing and pharmacy staff have been recognized, exposure of para-professional health care workers (HCW) has received little attention. METHODS: This case report describes a patient care assistant who developed allergic reactions subsequent to exposure to urine of oncology patients who had been treated with antineoplastics. RESULTS: The patient care assistant on two occasions developed a pruritic, disseminated rash shortly after emptying commodes containing the urine of oncology patients treated with Vincristine and Adriamycin (doxorubicin). CONCLUSIONS: Increased attention should be focused on the occupational exposures of para-professional HCWs to potentially hazardous antineoplastics.