Health-hazard evaluation report HETA 86-375-1735, Primary Childrens Hospital, Salt Lake City, Utah
A request was received from the Department of Surgery at Primary Childrens Hospital to investigate exposures in operating rooms and recovery room for nitrous oxide, ethrane, halothane, and isoflurane. The NIOSH criteria of 0.5 parts per million (ppm) was exceeded for ethrane in 17 of 24 air samples, 71%. The 0.5ppm criteria for halothane was exceeded in 13 of 24 samples, 54%. The 0.5ppm criteria for isoflurane was exceeded in 2 of 24 samples, 8%. Nitrous oxide was examined in 32 air samples taken from workers, and in 31 of these the concentration exceeded the criteria of 25ppm. All operating rooms exhibited excessive exposures to ethrane, halothane, isoflurane and nitrous oxide due to a lack of sufficient air changes per hour. These levels would be significantly lower if adequate ventilation was provided. The method of administering anesthetics differs in this children's hospital from an adult situation. The authors recommend that the slip connections and high-pressure nitrous oxide connections be checked by the anesthesiologist. An air-monitoring system must be in use at all times. Increased ventilation is recommended.
- Research Organization:
- National Inst. for Occupational Safety and Health, Cincinnati, OH (USA)
- OSTI ID:
- 6504124
- Report Number(s):
- PB-87-163408/XAB; HETA-86-375-1735
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
552000 -- Public Health
99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS
AIR POLLUTION
ANESTHETICS
BUILDINGS
CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM DEPRESSANTS
CHALCOGENIDES
DRUGS
HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
HOSPITALS
INDOOR AIR POLLUTION
INDUSTRIAL MEDICINE
INSPECTION
MATERIALS
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
MEDICAL ESTABLISHMENTS
MEDICINE
MONITORS
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
NITROGEN OXIDES
NITROUS OXIDE
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
POLLUTION
TOXICITY
VENTILATION