Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene (한국산업보건학회지)

Korean Industrial Hygiene Association (한국산업보건학회)
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Employee Exposures to Waste Anesthetic Gases in Hospital Operating Rooms

종합병원 수술실 종사자의 마취가스 노출에 관한 연구

  • Cha, Jung Young (Graduate School of Public Health, Seoul National University) ;
  • Paek, Do Myung (Graduate School of Public Health, Seoul National University) ;
  • Paik, Nam Won (Graduate School of Public Health, Seoul National University)
  • 차정영 (서울대학교 보건대학원) ;
  • 백도명 (서울대학교 보건대학원) ;
  • 백남원 (서울대학교 보건대학원)
  • Received : 2006.05.12
  • Accepted : 2006.08.08
  • Published : 2006.09.30
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Abstract

This study was performed to investigate employee exposures to waste anesthetic gases, such as enflurane and sevoflurane in operating rooms of general surgical, children's and dental clinics of a large hospital located in Seoul and to analyze factors affecting the concentrations of waste anesthetic gases. The results of the study are summarized below. 1. Based on results of personal and area samples for airborne enflurane, all of the employees investigated in this study were exposed to airborne enflurane concentrations below the ACGIH-threshold limit value (TLV) of 75 ppm. 2. However, based on results of personal samples for sevoflurane, employees of two (2) out of eleven (11) operating rooms were exposed to sevoflurane concentrations in excess of the NIOSH recommended exposure limit (REL) of 2 ppm. A similar trend was found in the area samples. 3. To investigate the source of sevoflurane emissions, airborne sevoflurane concentrations were measured on an anesthesia machine, a drug cabinet and a desk. It was indicated that the geometric means were 0.93 ppm, 0.83 ppm and 0.72 ppm, respectively. 4. Factors affecting waste anesthetic gas concentrations were the age of anesthesia machine, the volume of operating room and the extent of ventilation (p<0.05). 5. It is recommended that the use of anesthesia equipments be properly controlled, the operating room be well ventilated, and the airborne concentrations of anesthetic gases be continuously monitored.

Keywords

References

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