A multianalyte method for simultaneous evaluation of occupational exposure to anesthetic gases in urine samples from healthcare professionals

Background Monitoring occupational exposure in hospital settings requires valid non-invasive exposure assessment methods. We aimed to develop a multianalyte method to characterize and quantify urinary levels of anesthetic gases in healthcare professionals. Methods Urine samples were collected from 37 recently exposed and 24 non-exposed professionals. A multianalyte method was developed and validated to determine urinary concentrations of desflurane, isoflurane, sevoflurane, and its main metabolite, hexafluoroisopropanol, using headspace gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (HS–GC–MS). Results The methodology was successfully validated. It demonstrated adequate linearity and sensitivity [correlation coefficients ( R 2 ): 99.5–99.9%]. Limits of detection for the anesthetic gases ranged from 0.15–0.60 ng/mL, and limits of quantification from 0.5–2.0 ng/mL. The recovery percentage ranged from 95.17 to 102.40%, and relative standard deviations were below 15%. Detectable concentrations in exposed participants ranged from 1.0 to 3.80 ng/mL (mean 0.53 ng/mL) for desflurane, 0.5–19.59 ng/mL (mean 1.39 ng/mL) for sevoflurane, and 2.0–729.35 ng/mL (mean 49.74 ng/mL) for hexafluoroisopropanol (HFIP). No detectable concentrations of isoflurane were found in the exposed volunteers, nor were any of the anesthetic found in the non-exposed volunteers. Conclusion A multianalyte HS–GC–MS method was successfully developed to simultaneously determine four anesthetic gases in urine samples and was validated in real-world samples from healthcare professionals. Future studies are needed to investigate the safety of exposure to these compounds for anesthesiologists and operating room nurses.