Collecting, storing and handling cytarabine

You usually collect cytarabine from the chemotherapy day unit. The medicine needs to be kept at room temperature between 15 and 25C and stored in a safe way. We give you all the equipment that you need to do the injections at home.

As cytarabine is poisonous (toxic) to living cells (cytotoxic), it needs to be handled safely. There are special procedures to follow if you accidentally spill any medicine.

Getting your supply of cytarabine

We give you cytarabine in a ready to use syringe (small tube with a thin, hollow needle at the end) for injection. The syringes are stored in a sealed plastic bag from the pharmacy department.

We usually ask you to collect your cytarabine syringes and equipment from the chemotherapy day unit. In exceptional circumstances, a courier service can deliver your medicines. 

If you collect cytarabine from the chemotherapy day unit

Cytarabine needs to be kept at room temperature between 15 and 25C. Please bring a leakproof, tight-fitting plastic storage container with a lid (for example, Tupperware® or something similar) to collect your medicine. This helps to protect the syringes from damage.

When transporting cytarabine home, it is important to help reduce the effects of changes in temperature. 

Storing cytarabine at home

Here are some tips for how to store cytarabine safely at home.

Damaged or unsafe syringes

If any syringes have been damaged or the date has expired, please contact the chemotherapy day unit as soon as possible. We can then replace the prescribed amount (dose) of your medicine.

Please also contact the chemotherapy day unit if any cytarabine syringes have not been stored at room temperature between 15 and 25C. We can give you advice about what to do.

Returning unused syringes

Please return any unused cytarabine syringes to the hospital in a suitable plastic container at your next appointment. This should be a leakproof, tight-fitting storage container with a lid (for example, Tupperware® or something similar).

If you give the syringes to a nurse in the chemotherapy day unit or your clinic, they will dispose of them safely.

Equipment needed for cytarabine injections

The hospital gives you all the equipment that you need for injecting cytarabine at home. If you need any more equipment supplies, please contact a nurse in the chemotherapy day unit.

The equipment that we give you includes:

• ready to use syringe(s) containing cytarabine for your treatment
• alcohol swabs (cotton pads soaked in alcohol to clean a patch of skin before an injection)
• gauze swabs (cotton pads to soak up any spills and clean a patch of skin after an injection)
• gloves
• an apron (you only need this if a carer gives you the injections)
• a specially designed yellow box with a purple lid called a sharps bin to dispose of used syringes and needles

Handling the medicine safely

There are some important safety rules for handling cytarabine.

• It is not safe to handle cytarabine if you are trying for a baby, already pregnant or breastfeeding.
• Cytarabine syringes must always be kept out of the reach of children and pets.
• Only people who are trained to use cytarabine syringes should handle them when they are out of the sealed plastic bag.
• A carer or member of your household can give you your injection if we have shown them how to do this correctly.
• If your carer or household member gets a needle stick injury (when a needle pierces or scratches their skin), they should wash the area thoroughly with water. They can then contact the chemotherapy day unit immediately for more advice.

Procedure if you spill any cytarabine

You need to follow this procedure if you accidentally spill any cytarabine from a syringe.

1. Put on 2 pairs of gloves that you can throw away (disposable gloves).
2. If there is a small spill, soak it up using a kitchen towel. Start at the outside edge of the spill and work inwards towards the middle. Place the kitchen towel gently over the spill to avoid splashing.
3. Put the kitchen towel and any sharp material into a bag. Then put this bag into the cytotoxic sharps bin (the yellow box with a purple lid).
4. Take off the top pair of gloves. Clean the floor or work surface with warm soapy water (for example, water and washing up liquid) and a kitchen towel.
5. After cleaning the area, put the kitchen towel and gloves into a bag. Then put this bag into the cytotoxic sharps bin.
6. Wash your hands thoroughly.
7. Contact the nurse in charge at the chemotherapy day unit to tell them about the spill. They can arrange to replace your medicine if needed.

Procedure if you spill any cytarabine on yourself

You need to follow this procedure immediately if you accidentally spill any cytarabine onto your skin or at your nostrils, mouth, lips, eyelids or ears.

1. Wash the area thoroughly with soapy water as soon as possible. If there has been a large spill or splash, remove any clothes that have come into contact with cytarabine. You need to wash these separately from your other clothes. Have a shower and put on a clean set of clothes.
2. If the medicine has splashed into your eye, rinse it thoroughly with tap water for about 20 minutes.
3. Immediately report what has happened to your clinical nurse specialist or the nurse in charge at the chemotherapy day unit.