Which statement about vesicants administered during chemotherapy is true?

Which statement about vesicants administered during chemotherapy is true?

• A. They pose no risk if safety precautions are followed
• B. They only affect the skin
• C. They can cause severe skin blistering in addition to eye and mucosal pain and irritation
• D. They are safe to handle without gloves

Answer: (C)

Vesicants are highly tissue-damaging chemotherapy agents that can cause serious injury if they escape from the vein (extravasation). This means they can produce severe skin blistering as well as eye and mucosal pain and irritation, not just skin irritation alone. Because of this potential for rapid and extensive tissue damage, they require careful handling, proper IV access, ongoing monitoring of the infusion site, and immediate action if extravasation is suspected. Stopping the infusion, assessing the extent of leakage, and applying appropriate interventions (and, for some drugs, using specific antidotes like hyaluronidase) are essential. So statements claiming there’s no risk with precautions, that they affect only the skin, or that they’re safe to handle without gloves are not accurate.

Vesicants are highly tissue-damaging chemotherapy agents that can cause serious injury if they escape from the vein (extravasation). This means they can produce severe skin blistering as well as eye and mucosal pain and irritation, not just skin irritation alone. Because of this potential for rapid and extensive tissue damage, they require careful handling, proper IV access, ongoing monitoring of the infusion site, and immediate action if extravasation is suspected. Stopping the infusion, assessing the extent of leakage, and applying appropriate interventions (and, for some drugs, using specific antidotes like hyaluronidase) are essential. So statements claiming there’s no risk with precautions, that they affect only the skin, or that they’re safe to handle without gloves are not accurate.