Effect of waste anesthetic gas and vapor exposure on reproductive outcome in veterinary personnel

Thesis/Dissertation · Wed Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1986

OSTI ID:6350662

Johnson, J A

This study was designed to investigate potential adverse reproductive outcome in veterinary personnel who are exposed to waste anesthetic gas and vapor at levels near the NIOSH recommended standards. Subjects for this case-control study of births with congenital abnormalities and spontaneous abortion, selected from the American Veterinary Medical Association roster, were contacted by mail and asked to complete a screening questionnaire regarding reproductive history. Crude prevalence rates for spontaneous abortion, births with congenital abnormalities and stillbirths, determined on the basis of the responses to the screening questionnaire, showed no excess rates when compared with national statistics. All pregnancies resulting in spontaneous abortion, stillbirth, or birth with congenital abnormality were selected as cases. Controls were selected from the reported normal births on a stratified random basis to match maternal age and pregnancy number for cases. Occupational exposure to waste anesthetic gas and vapor in general was not found to be significantly associated with adverse reproductive outcome when adjustment was made for radiation exposure. For nitrous oxide exposure, however, an odds ratio significantly greater than one was found for spontaneous abortion among female veterinary assistants and wives of exposed male veterinarians. Use of diagnostic x-rays in veterinary practice was associated with spontaneous abortion in exposed females with a statistically significant dose response effect observed in female veterinarians.

• Research Organization: Colorado State Univ., Fort Collins (USA)
• OSTI ID: 6350662
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

560300* -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
ANESTHETICS
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM DEPRESSANTS
CHALCOGENIDES
CONGENITAL MALFORMATIONS
DOSE-RESPONSE RELATIONSHIPS
DRUGS
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
FLUIDS
GASES
IONIZING RADIATIONS
MALFORMATIONS
MEDICINE
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
NITROGEN OXIDES
NITROUS OXIDE
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PATHOLOGICAL CHANGES
PERSONNEL
PREGNANCY
PROFESSIONAL PERSONNEL
RADIATIONS
REPRODUCTION
VAPORS
VETERINARY MEDICINE
X RADIATION