Determination of pentamidine isethionate in air.
Authors
Tucker-SP; Belinky-BR; Seitz-TA; Foley-GD
Source
Am Ind Hyg Assoc J 1993 Oct; 54(10):628-632
Abstract
The possibility of health care worker exposure to the antiprotozoal drug pentamidine-isethionate (140647) (PI), used as an aerosol for the prevention and treatment of Pneumocystis-carinii pneumonia, led to the development of an analytical method for determining PI levels in air. The method involved air sampling with a polyvinyl-chloride membrane filter (5.0 micrometer pore size), and analysis using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with fluorescence detection. Personal air sampling was conducted at an airflow of 2 liters per minute in closed face, opaque cassette filter holder in hospitals. PI was recovered from the filters as well as from the interior surfaces of the front pieces of cassette filter holders. Results showed that the lower limit of quantitation was 50 nanograms (ng) per sample. The instrumental limit of detection (LOD) was 2.4ng/milliliter (ml). At a conservatively estimated recovery of 40%, this corresponded to a LOD of 18ng per sample of 3ml. About 3% to 27% of the PI was found on the interior surfaces of cassette filter holders and on PVC filters. The PI was stable on PVC filters during storage for 27 days at room temperature in the dark. A major problem of gas absorption was encountered when the HPLC mobile phase was resolved by using solutions containing at least 60% water. Safety precautions for handling samples possibly contaminated with tuberculosis included the use of 50:50 ethanol/water for recovery of PI from filters.
Keywords
NIOSH-Author; Aerosols; Air-contamination; Bacterial-infections; Infection-control; Laboratory-workers; Health-care-personnel; Occupational-exposure; Pharmaceuticals
Document Type
Journal Article
NIOSH Division
DPSE; DSHEFS
Source Name
American Industrial Hygiene Association Journal
