Key result
Mask induction briefly drives occupational exposure to sevoflurane, halothane, and nitrous oxide above recommended thresholds.
Why the study?
What are the levels of occupational exposure to sevoflurane, halothane, and nitrous oxide for operating room staff during pediatric anesthesia?
Observational (n=20)
What are the levels of occupational exposure to sevoflurane, halothane, and nitrous oxide for operating room staff during pediatric anesthesia?
Occupational exposure to waste anesthetic gases during pediatric mask induction can transiently exceed recommended safety thresholds, even in modern operating theaters with high air turnover.
Transient exceedances during pediatric mask induction merit ventilation review; leaves open long-term staff health risks in modern ORs.
We report the findings of a study on exposure of operating room staff to sevoflurane, halothane and nitrous oxide during induction and maintenance of anaesthesia in children. Concentrations of anaesthetic agents in the operating theatre were measured directly by highly sensitive, photoacoustic infrared spectrometer during 20 anaesthetics. Samples were taken from the breathing zones of the anaesthetist and the circulating nurse. The operating theatre was of modern design with an air conditioning system providing 20 changes of air each hour. The threshold values of 100 ppm N2O, 50 ppm isoflurane and 10 ppm halothane recommended by the United Kingdom Committee for Occupational Safety and Health (COSH) were exceeded in several cases for a short time during mask induction. After tracheal intubation, trace concentrations of sevoflurane, halothane and N2O were mostly under the recommended levels and comparable to levels measured during adult anaesthesia.
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Hoerauf et al. (1997) conducted an observational in Occupational exposure to anaesthetic gases (n=20). Sevoflurane, halothane and nitrous oxide was evaluated on Concentrations of anaesthetic agents in the operating theatre. Occupational exposure to sevoflurane, halothane, and nitrous oxide exceeded recommended threshold values for a short time during mask induction in several cases.
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