Personnel breathing zone sevoflurane concentration adherence to occupational exposure limits in conjunction with filling of vaporisers.
BACKGROUND
Work place pollution during filling of anaesthetic vaporisers has been a matter of concern. We studied personnel breathing zone ambient air sevoflurane concentrations during filling of sevoflurane with three different filling systems: Quik-Fil™ for Abbott and Dräger Fill™ resp. Easy-Fil™ adapters for Baxter sevoflurane bottles, referred to as 'Abbott and Baxter filling systems'.


METHODS
Sequential filling of three vaporisers was performed for a 15-min period, once with each of Abbott and Baxter filling systems, by four nurses. Ambient-air sevoflurane p.p.m. concentration in the breathing zone was continuously measured using a Miran 1a device during filling, and the mean 15 min sevoflurane concentration was calculated.


RESULTS
All eight measured (4 × 2 sequences) 15-min mean breathing zone sevoflurane concentrations covering filling of three vaporisers were well below the recommended short-term value (STV) provided by the Swedish Work Environment Authority (STV 20 p.p.m.).


CONCLUSIONS
The breathing zone sevoflurane concentration during filling of sevoflurane with Baxter or Abbott filling systems, in an ordinary operating theatre, was found to be reassuringly below the Swedish recommended STV (20 p.p.m. average for a 15-min period).
Heijbel
H
H
Foot & Ankle Surgical Centre, Stockholm, Sweden.
Bjurstöm
R
R
Jakobsson
J G
JG
D018685:Anesthetics, Inhalation / Q000032:analysis*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D019983:Guideline Adherence; D006801:Humans; D008738:Methyl Ethers / Q000032:analysis*; D009330:Nebulizers and Vaporizers; D009726:Nurses; D016273:Occupational Exposure; D011446:Prospective Studies; D000077149:Sevoflurane; D017132:Workplace
D018685:Anesthetics, Inhalation; D008738:Methyl Ethers; D000077149:Sevoflurane