An Expert Advisory Panel for Health Canada has issued a warning concerning the use of the plasticizer di-2-ethylhexyl-phthalate (DEHP). The plasticizer is used to soften a variety of PVC medical products, such as bags for intravenous drips and blood products, and tubing. The expert panel's report, published in January of this year, recommends that the use of DEHP-containing devices is avoided in the treatment of all pregnant and breastfeeding women, babies, boys under the age of puberty and patients undergoing cardiac bypass, haemodialysis or heart transplant surgery.
"Alternative measures should be introduced as quickly as possible to protect those sub-populations at greatest risk, namely the foetus, newborns, infants and young children receiving transfusions, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), cardiopulmonary by-pass, haemodialysis, total parental nutrition (TPN) and lipophilic drug formulations", the report says.
The expert panel recognizes that "alternative products are already available" for some DEHP-containing products and encourages research into alternatives for other products. Meanwhile, all products containing DEHP should be labelled, according to the report, and wherever possible kept away from those patients identified as being high risk from exposure.
The Health Canada report is the latest in a series of studies by government and health agencies in North America and Europe expressing concern about the potential risks to humans from PVC medical devices that may leach DEHP. Most recently, the FDA published a Safety Assessment on DEHP in September 2001, which found that the plasticizer many not be safe for infants, children and adults receiving certain medical treatments.
The full text of the Health Canada panel report is available from www.hc-sc.gc.ca or on mindfully.org
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