Toxicity of Plastics Used in Medical Practice I: Investigation of Tissue Response in Animals by Certain Unit Packaged Polyvinyl Chloride Administration Devices

Abstract

In the past workers in our laboratory and other investigators have noted that polyvinyl chloride tubings used in medical practice, as administration or collection devices, will release one or more constituents to several types of solvent systems used in pharmacy. Since a great many formulations may be employed in manufacturing these plastic tubings, it was thought that a toxicity study might reveal if one or more of the currently used plastic administration devices might contain an ingredient which could produce a tissue response when implanted in animals. The results of the study revealed that under the experimental conditions used in this study a number of the tubings will produce tissue response while others will not. In the past workers in our laboratory and other investigators have noted that polyvinyl chloride tubings used in medical practice, as administration or collection devices, will release one or more constituents to several types of solvent systems used in pharmacy. Since a great many formulations may be employed in manufacturing these plastic tubings, it was thought that a toxicity study might reveal if one or more of the currently used plastic administration devices might contain an ingredient which could produce a tissue response when implanted in animals. The results of the study revealed that under the experimental conditions used in this study a number of the tubings will produce tissue response while others will not.