Concentrations of Anaesthetic Agents in the Air in Operating Rooms

Nitrous Oxide Contamination in Dental Surgeries Using Relative Analgesia

“…A further complicating factor is the use of two sampling techniques, either simple "snatch" samples such as used in our study and those, for example, of Millard and Corbett (1974) and Burm, Spierdijk and Rejger (1976), or the continuous sampling of Campbell and colleagues (1977) and Whitcher and colleagues (1977). However, some comparison between the results in our study and the results of comparable time samples in Millard and Corbett's (1974) investigation is possible (table V).…”

“…The choice of sampling sites in studies of pollution is difficult and is always a compromise between the desirable and the feasible (Burm, Spierdijk and Rejger, 1976). Whitcher (1976) and Whitcher and colleagues (1977) have suggested two sites for sampling.…”

“…In each surgery, samples of air were taken at the commencement of the day's work and then at halfhourly intervals for the next 6 h on each day of a randomly selected working week. Air samples were collected from four sites which were similar to those sampled by Burm, Spierdijk and Rejger (1976), Whitcher (1976) and Whitcher and colleagues (1977) namely:…”

“…has drawn attention to the report of Hirsch and Kappers (1929) who suggested that the inhalation of those anaesthetic agents which are present in the air of operating rooms has an injurious effect on the health of surgeons and those who assist them. Today, almost 56 yr later, the relationship between anaesthetic agents in the air and toxicity to the staff inhaling the agents has yet to be proved conclusively (Spierdijk, 1976).…”