Re: Gluteraldehyde: the name says it all -Reply
Kevin Won (wonk@ohsu.edu)
Fri, 29 Mar 1996 15:30:35 -0800
The MSDS info on chemicals can be, as you know, somewhat misleading about
the actual toxicity of chemestry. . .I do have some practical healthcare
expereience with Gluteraldehyde that might help shed some light on some of
the *real* hazards of the stuff. I work in surgery at a teaching hospital
where Gluteraldehyde is used in several capacities. Surgery considers
Cidex (brand-name of Gluteraldehide used for terminal cleaning of soakable
instruments) the most dangerous chemical substance in the OR. I've seen
retinal burns from the stuff that didn't look pretty. So there are
immediate dangers of the chemical, not to mention the carcagenic aspects.
On one hand, Gluteraldehyde is used in valve replacement surgeries to
temporarily harden the artificial valve so it will remain stiff to sew in
place. They literally soak the valve in Gluteraldehyde and rinse with just
2000cc of serile water before putting it in the patients chest. This
practice is FDA approved, obviously, and I have not heard of any
complications (though I'm hardly a resource for this kind of info).
So, there is some contradictory information running around about the
hazards of the chemestry. Personally, I feel the stuff if rather safe,
though, I've gotten some painful chemical burns at work when some Cidex
touched me without me knowing it.
Kevin.