You can feel alarmed when you hear the term cytotoxic. There is no reason to be so weary though. Cytotoxic indicates cells being affected by toxins. It is dreadful to even think of it but medical professionals have to fulfill this unpleasant activity by administering drugs that destroy some of the cells in the body. Patients being afflicted with serious ailments like cancer have to undergo chemotherapy as well as other treatment procedures that involve the use of cytotoxic drugs.
Coming in touch with related wastes is prohibited making it important for healthy people in the facility to avoid any kind of contamination from such drugs. There are specialized cytotoxic waste bins available for discarding the wastes generated within a facility that treats cancer patients. Professional disposal units make sure to utilize such bins to ensure safety in other parts of the facility and avoid cross-contamination elsewhere.
How Cytotoxic Wastes Cause Harm?
The drugs used to target cancerous cells in the human body make result in multiple side effects that inconvenience the patient. However, even healthy people can get contaminated and reveal certain symptoms that are considered to be dangerous for a healthy cell. Normal procedures of waste disposal will not work here. It is best to engage a team of specially trained professionals to address this concern.
Effects of Exposure
The cytotoxic wastes come with dangerous properties that may affect human health and life adversely. Some of the commonly found effects that force people to avoid such medicines like plague include:
- Carcinogenic– This waste can cause cancer
- Mutagenic– Contamination with this drug may inadvertently set about a genetic mutation in your body cells
- Acute Toxicity– Being exposed to this drug may give rise to multiple toxic effects. You will have no time to get treatment as the results manifest themselves within a short time
- Sterility– Contamination with cytotoxic waste may make you lose your reproductive power. In other words, you will have low sexual drive, impaired sexual functionality, and experience several reproductive issues.
It is the onus of the staff at a facility that uses cytotoxic drugs to prevent exposure and cross-contamination. It is important to take proper precautions by monitoring the facilities by trained personnel who have the required knowledge and experience.
Design of cytotoxic waste bins
Professional companies engaged in the disposal of cytotoxic wastes have come up with effective designs for the proper disposal of deadly contaminants. The best waste bins are distinctively colored with bright purple lids on yellow containers. The containers make it easy to segregate the wastes according to their nature. Cytotoxic and cytostatic wastes are thus retained separately. A majority of the bins also come with a sliding top that simplifies the process of dropping sharps used during the procedure. Wastes are collected from rooms of patients undergoing cancer, hormone, HRT, and/or steroid treatments. Modern cytotoxic waste bins are puncture and leak-proof. The latest technology has succeeded in designing reusable waste bins as well.
