Nurses and doctors may have handled chemo drugs with wrong gloves for years
Hospital staff "angry" they may have been exposed to cytotoxic agents, says nurse union official Maddy Harradence.
Doctors and nurses at a leading children’s hospital may have been exposed to toxic chemicals for up to a decade after being supplied with gloves not rated for handling chemotherapy agents.
International standards for handling chemotherapy agents were updated a decade ago, prompting the Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne to roll out gloves with better protection, according to ABC News.
But staff in some parts of the hospital were still provided with the older sterile gloves, which were not withdrawn until after WorkSafe Victoria notified the hospital last month, prompting a review.
The gloves were being used for patients with latex allergies in a range of clinical applications, the Victorian Department of Health has said.
