[Pollution of operating room air by anesthetic gases in relation to the air conditioning method and anesthesia techniques].
Volatile anesthetics are suspected to cause various health risks even in subnarcotic concentrations (hepatotoxicity, mutagenicity, teratogenicity). Yet only for halothane a limit (MAK-value = 5 ppm) has been established for the entire FRG. In addition, in 1991 Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein defined preliminary limits for isoflurane, enflurane and nitrous oxide. We analysed the pollution of operating-room air by narcotic gases in 20 hospitals of Niedersachsen. In several cases limits have been exceeded evidently. Reasons for high concentrations were: insufficient room ventilation, defective air-conditioning plants, technical defects (leakage) and high gas emission due to special techniques in anesthesia (bronchoscopy). In order to take care of personnel-health air concentration of anesthetic gases should be kept as low as possible by the help of sufficient room ventilation avoiding unnecessary emissions.
Staatliches Medizinaluntersuchungsamt Hannover.
A
A
Baillot
M
M
Brünner
F
F
Diepenbrock
J
J
Sander
D000389:Air Conditioning; D016902:Air Pollution, Indoor / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000517:prevention & control; D000758:Anesthesia / Q000379:methods*; D000777:Anesthetics / Q000032:analysis*; D004737:Enflurane / Q000032:analysis; D005858:Germany; D006221:Halothane / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007530:Isoflurane / Q000032:analysis; D009609:Nitrous Oxide / Q000032:analysis; D009873:Operating Rooms; D014691:Ventilation
D000777:Anesthetics; D004737:Enflurane; D007530:Isoflurane; D009609:Nitrous Oxide; D006221:Halothane
Belastung der Operationssaalluft mit Narkosegasen in Abhängigkeit von Klimatechnik und Narkoseverfahren.