Ethylene oxide environmental monitoring in a health care facility.
Adequate monitoring of ethylene oxide concentrations in the workplace is essential for employee safety. Three methods of monitoring EO levels--personnel monitoring, infrared spectrometry, and continuous gas monitoring--were evaluated for use in a hospital central sterile reprocessing department. The continuous gas monitor was found to be a cost-effective, comprehensive system for monitoring ambient EO levels.
D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational / Q000032:analysis; D001698:Biomedical Engineering / Q000295:instrumentation*; D002495:Central Supply, Hospital / Q000592:standards*; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D005027:Ethylene Oxide / Q000032:analysis*; D006745:Hospital Bed Capacity, 300 to 499; D006801:Humans; D008452:Maximum Allowable Concentration; D009820:Ohio; D013242:Sterilization / Q000379:methods*
D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational; D005027:Ethylene Oxide