Evaluation of exposures of hospital employees to anesthetic gases

Thesis/Dissertation · Fri Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1988

OSTI ID:5165233

Lambeth, J D

Hospital employees who work in hospital operating and recovery rooms are often exposed to a number of anesthetic gases. There is evidence to support the belief that such exposures have led to higher rates of miscarriages and spontaneous abortions of pregnancies among women directly exposed to these gases than among women not exposed. Most of the studies assessing exposure levels were conducted prior to the widespread use of scavenging systems. Air sampling was conducted in hospital operatories and recovery rooms of three large hospitals to assess the current exposure levels in these areas and determine the effectiveness of these systems in reducing exposures to fluoride-containing anesthetic gases. It was determined that recovery-room personnel are exposed to levels of anesthesia gases that often approach and exceed the recommended Threshold Limit Value-Time Weighted Average (TLV-TWA) of 2.0 ppm. Recovery-room personnel do not have the protection from exposure provided by scavenging systems in operating rooms. Operating-room personnel were exposed to anesthesia gas levels above the TLV-TWA only when patients were masked, or connected and disconnected from the scavenging systems. Recovery-room personnel also need to be protected from exposure to anesthesia gases by a scavenging system.

• Research Organization: Oklahoma Univ., Oklahoma City, OK (USA). Health Sciences Center
• OSTI ID: 5165233
• Resource Relation: Other Information: Thesis (Ph. D.)
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS//MATHEMATICS, COMPUTING, AND INFORMATION SCIENCE
ANESTHETICS
INDOOR AIR POLLUTION
HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
HOSPITALS
PROFESSIONAL PERSONNEL
OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE
FLUORIDES
RECOMMENDATIONS
AIR POLLUTION
BUILDINGS
CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM DEPRESSANTS
DRUGS
FLUORINE COMPOUNDS
HALIDES
HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
MATERIALS
MEDICAL ESTABLISHMENTS
PERSONNEL
POLLUTION
540120* - Environment
Atmospheric- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (1990-)
552000 - Public Health