For my fellow nurses...

Aab7114 · January 2014

Has anyone been accidently exposed to a cytotoxic med at work? I had a freak exposure to cellcept tonight at work and I am now a nice big ball of anxiety. I know there is nothing really that can be done, but should I just mention it to my doc at the next appt or call someone sooner? It was a drop of the iv version on my skin, that I washed off as soon as I could. I looked it up to the best of my ability and all I found was info on women taking it; not a 1x exposure senerio. I will probably be wearing a gown next time, along with the double paranoid gloving I was already doing! Thanks in advance!

bluejeanbaby1217 · January 2014

A drop of an iv medication on unopened skin will not affect you at all.

Aab7114 · January 2014

P.s. I keep telling myself I am being paranoid and foolish, as it was seriously just a drop. But I keep imagining my baby with 3 legs. Please everyone laugh at me and tell me I am being silly! Thanks again!

ksuRN09 · January 2014

I'm not exposed to that kind of medicine so I can't be for sure but I doubt a drop on your skin would do any harm. If it makes you feel better, I was exposed to bacterial meningitis and we're both fine. Oh the joys of nursing

MrsCrouch90 · January 2014

I'm a PA but I would agree with PP as long as the drop didn't hit any open skin you should be perfect. Plus a drop really wouldn't be enough to have a severe effect. However if you are still worried call your dr and let them know.

pantherRN · January 2014

When I worked ICU, the only med that pregnant nurses didn't hang was gancyclovir.

I worked in solid organ transplant and routinely gave CellCept before my first miscarriage.

ETA: we were still expected to give chemo as well.

Aab7114 · January 2014

Thanks everyone! I appreciate the reassurance and am not too worried now after a few hours of sleep. I just started working with anti-rejection meds with this new job, so it's all new to me. I worked in ortho before and the scariest thing was trying to help the 300 lbs person out of bed. Step-down ICU is a whole new world!

SMMama726 · January 2014

Your job doesn't alter assignments ? And @panther you are still expected to give chemo?? As soon as I got my BFP I let my manager know and now I'm not given any chemo patients. I still review the assignments because they tried to give me a TB patient and a CMV positive patient who was bleeding everywhere. I'm not taking any chances

Aab7114 · January 2014

I think there are only certain patients pregnant nurses don't care for on our floor. I think it's only people with airborne precautions for like TB and such. Transplant patients we for sure care for, since we get most of them before and after surgery. We don't give chemo meds unless you are previously certified (which I am not), but cellcept is cytotoxic and not classified as a chemo med so I give it. There are some other anti-rejection meds that are the same as well. It might help once I actually tell my work too. My first tri and orientation period end basically the same day, so I have been waiting (aka avoiding) saying anything until then. Maybe I will find out more about what they let you avoid then, but half the women on the unit are pregnant right now so it would make assignments tricky.

michellexm · January 2014

I'm in a different medical field (more medication-focused) and personally take a medication with similar pharmacological effects for my Crohn's (yes, during my pregnancy).

You are going to be just fine.

Put the worries to rest; this medication needs to be metabolized in the liver to even work; one drop on the skin will do nothing.

Take a breather and relax; you're totally ok (but stress is not)!

If you're still super worried, give Genentech a call and they can probably help calm the nerves.

Aab7114 · January 2014

Thanks again gals! I am pretty much over it now. I will be 100x more careful next time though

SMMama726 · January 2014

They kept trying to give me this 400 lb patient that needs to be pulled up turned and repositioned quite often. Everytime he needs pulled up I get other people to help him and I don't do it. He also told me that a coworker told him that I'm pregnant. He eventually told my nurse assistant that he doesn't want "the pregnant nurse anymore " haha lol that's fine. He said since I couldn't pull him I'm no use to him. I'm not taking any chances with my little baby !!!

pantherRN · January 2014

Yes, we still gave chemo. If you take the proper precautions, it's not harmful.

The only patients we didn't care for while pregnant were disseminated zoster patients or shingles in airborne. You could ask to have your assignment switched, but it wasn't necessary most of the time.

kkos89 · January 2014

I think you're fine. My co-workers have been super cool about me not taking certain patients, like the combative ETOH, and all the road trips to MRI (I work ICU). The other week my patient coded and my co-workers would absolutely not let me do chest compressions lol.

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