title: [Chemical risk in operating rooms and technical progress: the obligations and responsibilities of law].
abstract: We are going to consider the specific applications of the new legal system and of the most recent body of laws to those work environments of particular risk, such as healthcare facilities and in particular operating rooms. In such environments, volatile chemicals classified as "dangerous" are used with consequent exposure to "chemical risk", both of those persons professionally involved, depending on the type of activity, and of the patients to whom such activities are addressed in the same environment. Once the chemical risk is framed in the existing regulatory system, it must be specifically evaluated the application of the same principle to the particular chemical risk arising from the use of anesthetic agents in the operating room, for example sevoflurane and desflurane, being careful to test wether and how much this risk can be eliminated or reduced to minimum in relation to the new achievements of the technical progress. So, as soon as the quality of "dangerous chemical agent" of the "volatile chemicals" and of the "volatile liquid anesthetic" (sevoflurane and desflurane) as well--which are characterized by a lower degree of toxicity and for this reason are mostly used in current chemical practice, preferable to some anesthetic gases such as nitrous oxide--is legally verified, it is necessary to relate the scientific and technical data which result from the current "state of art" also to the other binding regulations that are imposed for the "prevention and protection from chemical agents", according to the relative Title IX of the TUSL (Unique text for Safety and Health at Work).
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Oddo
mesh_terms: D018685:Anesthetics, Inhalation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D000077335:Desflurane; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D006268:Health Facilities / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D006801:Humans; D019570:Inhalation Exposure / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D007530:Isoflurane / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D007558:Italy; D008738:Methyl Ethers / Q000009:adverse effects; D009609:Nitrous Oxide / Q000009:adverse effects; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D009873:Operating Rooms / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D000077149:Sevoflurane
chemical_list: D018685:Anesthetics, Inhalation; D008738:Methyl Ethers; D000077149:Sevoflurane; D000077335:Desflurane; D007530:Isoflurane; D009609:Nitrous Oxide