Nurses administering chemotherapy are at risk for injuries caused by Huber needles. According to the Exposure Prevention Information Network (EPINet), rebound needle injuries are on the rise and pose a high risk for pathogen transmission. Moreover, nurses who both mix and administer hazardous drugs used in chemotherapy are at increased risk from exposure to those drugs. Exposure to hazardous drugs can result in acute symptoms such as skin irritation, sore throat, cough, dizziness, headache, allergic reaction, diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting.
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The prevalence of vascular access devices and hazardous drugs used in the administration of chemotherapy makes this group of healthcare workers a very special case. Safe and effective use of vascular access devices (VAD) and the safe handling of hazardous drugs is the purpose of this publication — Protecting the Healthcare Worker: Focus on Oncology. In March of 2004, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) released an Alert: Preventing Occupational Exposures to Antineoplastic and Other Hazardous Drugs in Healthcare Settings. Protecting the Healthcare Worker asked Ms. Polovich and Ms. Eileen Glynn-Tucker, who have been at the forefront of safety education for oncology nurses, to describe some of the recent recommendations for safe handling of hazardous drugs as well as safety precautions from needlestick injuries in chemotherapy administration

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CONTENTS

IV Catheter-associated Percutaneous Injuries:
Current trends and future opportunities

By Barbara DeBaun, RN, BSN, CIC

Focus on Oncology:
A Dialog with Martha Polovitch, RN, MSN, CIC
and Eileen Glynn-Tucker, RN MS, AOCN

Roundtable Discussion
The Role of Healthcare Workers in Preventing Needlestick Injuries:
Where are we today?

Mary Foley, RN, MS (Moderator)
Bruce Cunha, RN, MS, COHN-S
Dorothy Freeman, RN, OCN
Eileen Glynn-Tucker, RN, MS, AOCN
Martha Polovitch, RN, MSN, CIC
Brenda Vason, RN, BSC, COV

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