Exposure to anesthetic gases and ethanol during work in operating rooms.

Abstract

Exposure to anesthetic gases and ethanol during work in operating rooms. by Göthe C-J, Övrum P, Hallen B 2 (1976) 96-106. The concentration of halothane and ethanol in operating rooms was measured during 37 routine operations perfomed in nine different departments of surgery at six different hospi,tals. The time-weighted halothane concentrations in ,the respiratory :wnes of anesthetic and surgical nurses were 0.3--34.0 ppm (time-weighted average 7.2 ppm) and 0.1-9.2 ppm (time-weighted average 2.5 ppm), respectively, in the different operating departments. The corresponding ethanol concentrations were 0.3-36.5 ppm (time-weighted average 12.5 ppm) for anesthetic nurses and 1.5-46.6 ppm (time-weighted average 15.3 ppm) for surgical nurses. The anesthetic technique influences the exposure of the operating staff to anesthetic gases, but it does not affect exposure to ethanol. In controHed experiments volunteers were exposed to low concentrations of halothane or ethanol. About 60 % of both substances was retained. The content of ethanol in Ithe end-expired air approached zero within a few minutes a,fter the end of exposure, whiJIe low residual concentrations of halothane were demonstrable for more than 1 h. Although exposure to ethanol is insignificant in r,elation to the metabolic capacity of Ithe body, ethanol indicates the presence of volatile disinfectant components, and~ts spread through ,the room atmosphere should be kept in mind when the ventilation of oper>alting rooms is designed. The effective elimination of airborne pollutants in operating rooms calls for good general ventHation in conjunction with local exhaust close to the sources of anesthetic gas leakage. General ventilation mainly affects the concentration of \Substances well-mi'Xed with the room atmosphere, such as volatile disinfectant components and anesthetic vapor thaJt has spread beyond the actual workJ zones of the medical staff. For a significant reduction in .the concentration of anesthetic gases in the respiratory zones of the medical staff, the gases must be vented at the sou'rce of leakage. Since airborne anesthetics occur not only in operating rooms, general ventHation has ,to meet ceI'itain minimum requirements also in anesthetic induction rooms and recovery rooms. Operalting rooms and anesthetic induction rooms must lalSO be supplied with local exhaust systems.

Ambient Air Contamination in a Dental Outpatient Theatre

“…4, table III) cannot be so lightly dismissed. As Gothe, Ovrum and Hallen (1976) point out, the general level and pattern of ventilation of an operating theatre is a dominant factor in controlling the air contamination, but personal exposures of staff working close to the source of contamination may still need to be controlled by effective scavenging devices. The role of air movement in distributing the air contamination is clearly a subject worthy of much more detailed investigation than was possible here.…”