The ASTM D6978-05 standard published by the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) describes a standard practice for evaluating the resistance of medical glove materials to penetration by potentially hazardous cancer chemotherapy drugs under continuous contact conditions. In this application, nine chemotherapy drugs are allowed to penetrate the glove material for a certain period of time. The conditions used in this test method are intended to approach the worst case for clinical uses.
The ASTM D6978-05 standard includes all equipment and accessories specifically designed and manufactured to protect the arm or hand. This includes gloves, fingerless gloves, clothing that protects the fingers, clothing that protects the hand or part of the hand, or materials that protect the palm only. Potential hazards include absorption of harmful substances by the skin, chemical or thermal burns, electrical hazards, bruises, abrasions, cuts, punctures and fractures.
Skin contact with chemotherapy drugs poses a serious health risk for healthcare workers. In this regard, it is important to test that the examination gloves used are suitable for the purpose.
Chemical permeability is the process by which a chemical passes through a barrier, in this case, glove material. This occurs at the molecular level, and in many cases, the penetration process does not cause any physical changes in the glove. During testing, the sample glove is sandwiched between the two halves of a penetration cell, with the drug on one side and the collection solution on the other. The resistance of the gloves to the permeability of chemotherapy drugs is determined by measuring the time it takes for the maximum permissible penetration rate (breakdown time ).
Seven of at least nine chemotherapy drugs recommended in the ASTM D6978-05 standard are mandatory drugs, and at least two additional drugs are added from the list of chemotherapy drugs. These drugs are drugs that show their effect by damaging the DNA of cancer cells, changing some of the cancer cell DNA, damaging the enzymes inside the cancer cells or preventing the proliferation of cancer cells.
Among the numerous test, measurement, analysis and evaluation studies it provides for businesses in various sectors, our organization also provides testing services for the determination of thickness for non-woven fabrics within the scope of ASTM D6978-05 standard, with its trained and expert staff and advanced technological equipment.
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