Influence of occupational exposure to antineoplastic agents on adverse pregnancy outcomes among nurses: A meta-analysis

Abstract

Aim: This study aimed to explore the relationship between nurses' occupational exposure to antineoplastic agents and adverse pregnancy outcomes.

Design: Meta-analysis.

Methods: Data were retrieved from studies published before April 2022 in PubMed, the Cochrane Library, the Web of Science, Embase databases, the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), China Biology Medicine disc (CBM), China Science and Technology Journal databases (VIP) and Wan Fang databases (WF). Stata MP (Version 17.0) was used to conduct this meta-analysis.

Results: The current evidence shows that occupational exposure to antineoplastic agents increases nurses' risk of spontaneous abortions, stillbirths, and congenital abnormalities. It is necessary to pay attention to occupational exposures caused by antineoplastic agents, especially for female nurses of reproductive age. Managers should take timely and effective countermeasures to ensure their occupational safety and reduce the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes.

Keywords: adverse events; nursing workforce; occupational exposure; occupational health; public health nursing.