Evaluation of both local exhaust and cycle purges to reduce operator exposure and environmental levels of ethylene oxide.

A local exhaust manifold was attached to two different tabletop ethylene oxide sterilizers. One tabletop sterilizer had a built-in cycle purge feature, while the other had the standard single terminal vacuum cycle. Operator exposure and environmental levels of ethylene oxide were determined with and without local exhaust, and with and without purge cycle. Results from both charcoal tube collection samples and infra-red analysis clearly demonstrated the benefit of a local exhaust coupled with cycle purge in reducing operator exposure to and environmental contamination by ethylene oxide to nearly undetectable levels.

Local exhaust and cycle purges reduce ETO release.

Test results indicate greatly reduced operator exposure to, and environmental levels of, ethylene oxide from ETO sterilizers that are fitted for both local exhaust and purge cycle.

ETO exposure can be reduced by air systems.

Proper air change rates and venting systems in hospital central service sterilization rooms can reduce employees' exposure to ethylene oxide.

Combined volume control set-piggyback system for intermittent intravenous therapy.

A new method for intermittent administration of i.v. fluids which maintains the advantages of the piggyback system but at a lower cost than the piggyback system is described. The system uses a volume control chamber as a replacement for a minibag or minibottle to deliver doses of different medications. The volume control set, when attached in the prescribed fashion, permits the flow from the primary i.v. solution to resume automatically when the volume control chamber is empty. One large-volume container of i.v. fluid can be used to dilute many doses of different drugs in the volume control chamber rather than one small-volume container per dose. No significant difficulties have been encountered with the mechanics of the system, and nursing response has been favorable.