To develop a national radon awareness campaign, it would be
ideal to involve a large nursing organization such as the American Nurses
Association (ANA), in collaboration with the Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Nursing
professionals with extensive knowledge about lung cancer, perhaps oncology
nurses that are involved with the ANA, could work in collaboration with experts
at the EPA and CDC to develop a nationwide awareness campaign to alert citizens
about the dangers of radon, potential for exposure, and how to test their homes
and reduce risk. Ideally, internet ads and television ads could be produced to
reach the largest audience possible.
To incorporate carbon monoxide exposure into patient
assessments we as nursing professionals must first obtain an adequate history
to determine the level of risk for each patient. We must gather information
regarding home environment, including types of appliances and whether adequate
ventilation is present and used properly. Other potential for exposure may
include working with power tools or cars or using an indoor fireplace.
Recognition of symptoms of carbon monoxide exposure is also crucial. We must be
able to recognize that vague symptoms like dizziness, headache, fatigue,
nausea, and vomiting may be potentially linked to carbon monoxide exposure, and
this must be on our differential. With suspected exposure, it is important to
include a neurological exam with assessment of cognitive function to determine
if there has been acute exposure. Labs may also be drawn to determine carbon
monoxide levels in the blood. There are also CO-oximeters available for point
of care measurement.
My home is filled with VOCs, and before starting this class,
I had never before considered the potential dangers. I have a collection of
perfumes on my dresser, candles and plug-in scent diffusers from Bath and Body
Works galore, and a number of household cleaners that are pretty heavy duty. My
Kaboom bathroom cleaner makes me cough every time I use it, and I imagine my body
trying to protect me from the toxic fumes. I also use bleach cleaners in my
bathroom and kitchen to help prevent and destroy any mold. I have always been
afraid of mold, but I really should be just as afraid of the chemicals I’m
using to kill it! At work I am exposed to the air fresheners in the bathroom
that are sprayed periodically, pesticides that were recently used for our ant
problem, and a number of cleaning products that are used in the bathroom every day.
My company has a fragrance-free policy, but air fresheners in the bathroom are
still used. I imagine we could have this changed if enough people voiced their
concerns about exposure. As a group, my fellow employees and I may be able to
effect policy change to require cleaning companies to use safer products. We
could also open windows whenever possible to ventilate out some of the VOCs
floating around in our inside environment.
I would strongly advise any patient, pregnant or not, to
avoid hair straighteners and any other products that contain formaldehyde due
to the risk of cancer. Informing patients about other risks, such as
respiratory irritation and eye irritation, is also important and may help deter
some from using these harmful products. Companies manufacture these products as
“safe”, but studies prove otherwise. Patients must be made aware of the fact
that the products they are putting on their hair and scalps may contain harmful
chemicals, particularly formaldehyde, even if companies state otherwise. Although
I would advise all patients to avoid these products, I would be most concerned
about pregnant women due to possible risks to the fetus from formaldehyde exposure.
According to the CDC, researchers are still unsure whether formaldehyde can
cause miscarriages, and they still do not know for certain what levels of
exposure, if any, are safe. The safest route is avoidance. Most mothers-to-be
will not be willing to take those chances.
A recent article out of Houston reports about a family that
was rushed to the hospital due to carbon monoxide poisoning. Investigators were
trying to find the source of CO and determined that the likely source was a car
that was left running in a closed garage below the family’s condo. Although the
family was not using any appliances within the home, and they were not in the
garage next to the direct source, they still suffered serious consequences. Fortunately
they survived since exposure to high amounts of CO can be deadly. Because the
entire family was exposed to high amounts of CO, I would guess that they did
not have functioning CO detectors in their home. This is why it is so important
to ensure these types of precautions are in place and checked periodically.
Hi Missy, I shared with our Cancer Committee that January was National Radon Awareness month and hoped that they would adopt this idea for 2020 projects. Many providers were unaware that radon exposure is the #2 cause of Lung Cancer and it's 100% preventable. These members loved the idea since were are a lung cancer screening site and are putting together a plan to roll-out the program to all four hospital affiliates in January. We don't think much about radon in California because we don't really have many basements, but some homes have well water. The primary exposure routes are inhalation and ingestion. Radon also costs the U.S. billions of dollars each year in both direct and indirect health care costs. Testing is the only way to know your home's radon levels. I requested that our hospital provide the low-cost radon test kits to patients visiting the cancer center, so that we can reach out to communities who may not have access to this great information.
ReplyDeleteFormaldehyde is a really harmful chemical, so much that the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classified formaldehyde as a human carcinogen. They mentioned that individuals expose to this chemical increased risk of leukemia and brain cancer compared with the general population.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/substances/formaldehyde/formaldehyde-fact-sheet#how-is-the-general-population-exposed-to-formaldehyde