Particulate Matter of Particular Interest

Excerpt

Few physicians are aware that during the intravenous administration of certain medications, notably antibiotics, fibers of asbestos may also be infusing into their patients. In a study by Nicholson, Maggiore, and Selikoff recently published in Science (1), excessive quantities of chrysotile asbestos fibrils were found in 6 of 17 samples of commercially available parenteral medications examined by light and electron microscopy. Sodium acetazolamide, cephaloridine, sodium methicillin, sodium oxacillin, tetracycline HCl, and vancomycin HCl were notably contaminated. Apparently, the source of such particulate matter was asbestos filters, used by industry for sterilization and removal of foreign material from the final solution.