A new drug handling device for preventing hazardous drug exposure

摘要

A comparison of two drag-handling systems was performed to test the ability of the novel Tevadaptor~Rsystem to prevent hazardous drag exposure, as compared to a conventional syringe needle system. The contamination of a hospital laboratory work environment by hazardous drags was tested using technetium (~(99m)TcO_4~) as a tracer, according to a previously published protocol by Nygren and colleagues [1]. Eleven operators ran simulated IV solution preparations, each using both systems consecutively. Various surfaces prone to contamination were monitored, including hood bench, vial cap or Vial Adaptor (for syringe operation or Tevadaptor~Rrespectively), syringe or Syringe Adaptor, bag injection port or Bag Spike Adaptor, and gloves. Wipe samples were taken from each of the above surfaces by each operator. Contamination on the wipes was counted using a gamma counter. Technetium counts were converted into spill volumes. The results showed an unambiguous, statistically significant advantage of the Tevadaptor~Rsystem over the conventional syringe and needle. On some of the monitored surfaces this advantage was dramatic: a high level of contamination was found on vials that were handled using the traditional syringe needle method, whereas vials handled using the Tevadaptor~Rsystem were free of contamination. A user satisfaction survey that was simultaneously ran, showed a unanimous preference for Tevadaptor~Rover the conventional method. The main reasons cited were the sense of safety, automatic venting, convenience and ease of use.