Introduction. Two commercially available gloves, one latex and one nitrile, were evaluated for permeation with six antineoplastic agents following exposure to 70% isopropyl alcohol.
Materials. Commercially available antineoplastic agents prepared at the standard concentrations included carmustine, cyclophosphamide, fluorouracil, doxorubicin, thiotepa, and cisplatin. Additional solutions included distilled water and 70% isopropyl alcohol.
Methods. Following exposure to isopropyl alcohol for 0.5, 1, or 5 minutes, latex and nitrile glove materials were tested for permeation with the antineoplastic drugs. Five samples of each glove material were tested with the six drugs and the contact time was 2 hours. Permeation was measured by the use of a bacterial mutagenicity assay that can detect low levels of these drugs.
Results. The exposure of the two glove materials to isopropyl alcohol for up to 5 minutes resulted in a minimal observed increase in permeation for one of the six antineoplastic agents. Permeation with the latex gloves was seen with carmustine at the 1-minute exposure to the alcohol.
Conclusions. It appears that the use of isopropyl alcohol for cleaning and disinfecting has little to no effect on the integrity of these latex and nitrile gloves related to protection offered by these materials to antineoplastic drugs.
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