Which of the Following Drug Spills Doesn’t Require a Full-Facepiece, Chemical Cartridge-Type Respirator or PAPR?

The Answer

The answer is C: Adriamycin  

5-Fluorouracil, cyclophosphamide, and nitrogen mustard are all known to have the potential for vaporization at room temperature. According to USP <800 (http://www.usp.org/compounding/general-chapter-hazardous-drugs-handling-healthcare)>, a fit-tested National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health-certified N95 or more protective respirator is sufficient respiratory protection for most activities. However, N95 respirators do not offer protection against gases or vapors and very minimal protection from liquid splashes. A full-facepiece, chemical cartridge-type respirator or powered air purifying respirator (PAPR) is recommended when providers are at risk for respiratory exposure to hazardous drugs, attending to spills larger than what can be contained with a spill kit, or known or suspected powders or vapors are in the air.  

To read more about selecting the appropriate personal protective equipment and for a full list of drugs with the potential for vaporization, review the ONS Safe Handling toolkit (https://www.ons.org/sites/default/files/ONS_Safe_Handling_Toolkit.pdf).