Cytotoxic Drug Safety Cabinets
Cytotoxic drugs are toxic compounds and are known to have carcinogenic, mutagenic and / or teratogenic potential. With direct contact they may cause irritation to the skin, eyes, and mucous membranes, and ulceration and necrosis of the tissue. The toxicity of the drugs dictates that the exposure of health-care personnel to these drugs should be minimised. At the same time, the requirement for maintenance of aseptic conditions must be satisfied.
During drug preparation, a variety of manipulations are performed which may result in aerosol generation, spraying and splattering. Examples of these include:
- Withdrawal of needles from drug vials.
- Use of syringes and needles or filter straws for drug transfer.
- The opening of ampoules.
- The expulsion of air from a syringe when measuring the precise volume of drug.
Pharmaceutical practice calls for the use of aseptic techniques and a sterile environment. Many pharmacies provide this environment by using a laminar flow cytotoxic drug safety cabinet, which protects product, environment and personnel.
Airlab Ltd provide annual validation and certification of cytotoxic cabinets as well as certifying that the room of operation complies with the Class 350 air cleanliness standard and that the supply of air does not inhibit the operation of the cabinet.
Airlab is IANZ accredited to perform tests to AS/NZS 1807 and NSF 49 standards, and has several experienced staff who can advise you on all aspects of testing and validation of biohazard cabinets. We can perform illuminance, vibration, sound level, air barrier containment, and air velocity and uniformity tests, as well as the repairing and testing of the integrity of HEPA filters installed in your cabinet.