[Occupational exposure of the anesthesiologist to nitrous oxide and halothane. Control measures]. / Exposición laboral del anestesiólogo al óxido nitroso y halotano. Medidas de control.

Anesthetic gas spillage does occur in the operating room. Anesthesiologists and other operating room personnel are likely exposed to health hazards caused by chronic exposure to anesthetic gases and vapours. The aim of the present study is to elucidate the possible relationship between the chronic exposure to anesthetic gases and their adverse effects on the health. Present data, while controversial, do not establish a cause-effect relationship. Nevertheless, until solid data refutes the existence of a health hazard for operating room personnel, the anesthesiologist must try to reduce the anesthetic contamination level, with preventive and technical measures.

[Determination of subanesthetic concentrations of halothane in the environment of operating and recovery rooms]. / Determinación de las concentraciones subanestésicas de halotano en el ambiente de los quirófanos y salas de despertar.

Concentrations of halothane in parts per million (ppm) in the air were determined during 4 days in the operating rooms and the recovery room of pediatric surgery during the course of surgical anesthesia by inhalation. The operating rooms did not have an anesthetic gas scavenging system. Eighteen samples of air were taken by passive diffusion in sampling tubes of activated charcoal (mode Dräger Orsa 5). The samples were analysed by gas chromatography). We found concentrations between 4.7 ppm and 34.2 ppm that exceed those considered as admissible that range from 2 to 5 ppm. Our present recommendations to reduce the atmospheric contaminating anesthetic gases are the use of scavenging equipment, air-conditioned rooms and routine inspection and leak detection of apparatus and anesthetic circuits.