Resistance of gloves and protective clothing materials to permeation of cytostatic solutions

Abstract

Objectives: The objective of the work was to determine the resistance of selected protective clothing and glove materials to permeation of cytostatics such as docetaxel, fluorouracil, and doxorubicin. Material and Methods: The following glove materials were used: natural rubber latex (code A), acrylonitrile-butadiene rubber (code B) and chloroprene rubber (code C). In addition, we tested a layered material composed of a non-woven polyester (PES), a polypropylene (PP) film, and a non-woven PP used for protective coats (code D). The cytostatics were analyzed by liquid chromatography with diode array detection. The tested samples were placed in a purpose-built permeation cell modified to be different from that specified in the standard EN 6529:2001. Results: The tested materials were characterized by good resistance to solutions containing 2 out of the 3 selected cytostatics: doxorubicin and 5-fluorouracil, as indicated by a breakthrough time of over 480 min. Equally high resistance to permeation of the third cytostatic (docetaxel) was exhibited by natural rubber latex, acrylonitrile-butadiene rubber, and chloroprene rubber. However, docetaxel permeated much more readily through the clothing layered material, compromising its barrier properties. Conclusions: It was found that the presence of additional components in cytostatic preparations accelerated permeation through material samples, thus deteriorating their barrier properties. Int J Occup Med Environ Health 2018;31(3):341 -350

Rubbing ethanol and time of use: critical factors compromising latex gloves structure

“…Moreover, some authors corroborate our findings showing modifications in surface morphology after contact with various solvents 5,14,15,[17][18][19] . Ethanol, acetone, methacrylate, or other substances, such as eugenol, bleaching agents, phosphoric acid, or some drugs, are frequently used in the daily dental routine and have also been associated with changes in the gloves' morphology 9,13 .…”

“…The risk of gloves micro-perforations is imminent, facilitating microorganisms' course before and during clinical care [5][6][7][8][10][11][12] . Even though surgical sterile or non-sterile gloves provide a physical barrier in clinical procedures 6,8,[10][11][12] , it is mandatory to conduct comprehensive tests to ensure the quality of these materials as an effective barrier against pathogens [5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19] . Among those methods, electronic devices 20,21 , pressurized air influx, looking for blood in the surgeon's hand 6 , water filling, and bacterial assays have been applied 8,11,12,22 .…”

Permeation measurement of 27 chemotherapy drugs after simulated dynamic testing on 15 surgical and examination gloves: A knowledge update

“…Moreover, it has already been suggested that excipients may facilitate the passage of anticancer drugs through gloves. 24 In our study it is impossible to exclude excipients from playing a role in the rate of permeation of carmustine (ethanol and water) and busulfan (dimethylacetamide and macrogol 400). However, the role of the excipient can be ruled out in the case of thiotepa as it consists of water.…”

“…Moreover, the number of chemicals tested varied considerably from one study to the next, ranging from a single chemical to 15 chemicals, but many studies used fewer than 7 chemicals. 9,10,[21][22][23][24][25][26]29 This makes it harder to compare the relative behaviour of different chemicals under identical experimental conditions with the same gloves. In this study we tested 27 chemicals, and only 3 had permeation rates above the US standard ASTM D-6978-05 (carmustine, busulfan and thiotepa) with some gloves.…”

“…Examples include cisplatin, 14,15 cyclophosphamide, 10,11,14 doxorubicin, 26 etoposide, 14,15,30 5-fluorouracil, 10,14,20 methotrexate, 20 daunorubicin 31 and docetaxel. 24 Several parameters have been suggested to explain how anticancer drugs pass through gloves. The first have to do with the gloves, the raw materials from which they are made, their thickness, and chlorine treatment.…”