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Environmental and biological measurements of isoflurane and sevoflurane in operating room personnel

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Abstract

Purpose

The present study aimed to compare the concentration of isoflurane and sevoflurane in the individual’s breathing zone and ambient air of operating rooms (ORs), to investigate the correlation between breathing zone levels and urinary concentrations, and to evaluate the ORs pollution in the different working hours and weeks.

Methods

Environmental and biological concentrations of isoflurane and sevoflurane were evaluated at 9ORs. Air samples were collected by active sampling method and urine samples were collected from each subject at the end of the work shift. All samples were analyzed using gas chromatography.

Results

The geometric mean ± GSD concentration of isoflurane and sevoflurane in breathing zone air were 1.41 ± 2.27 and 0.005 ± 1.74 ppm, respectively, while in post-shift urine were 2.42 ± 2.86 and 0.006 ± 3.83 µg/lurine, respectively. A significant positive correlation was found between the urinary and environmental concentration of isoflurane (r 2 = 0.724, P < 0.0001). The geometric mean ± GSD values of isoflurane and sevoflurane in ambient air were 2.30 ± 2.43 and 0.004 ± 1.56 ppm, respectively. The isoflurane concentration was different for three studied weeks and significantly increased over time in the ambient air of ORs.

Conclusions

The occupational exposure of OR personnel to isoflurane and sevoflurane was lower than national recommended exposure limits. The urinary isoflurane could be a good internal dose biomarker for monitoring of occupational isoflurane exposure. Considering the accumulation of anesthetic waste gases in the studied ORs, real-time air monitoring is better to be done at the end of the work shift.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to appreciate the financial backing provided by Urmia University of Medical Sciences. The authors also thank the operating rooms staff for their assistance in the conduct of this study. In addition, the statistical advice of Dr. Hamidreza Khalkhali, Head of Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, is gratefully acknowledged.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Occupational Health, School of Health, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran

    Abbas Jafari

  2. Department of Instrumental Analysis, School of Health, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran

    Rogaieh Bargeshadi

  3. Department of Operating Room, School of Paramedical Sciences, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran

    Fatemeh Jafari

  4. Department of Occupational Medicine, School of Health, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran

    Iraj Mohebbi

  5. Department of Occupational Health, Health Faculty, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Pardis-e Nazloo, Serow Rd Km 11, Urmia, Iran

    Mohammad Hajaghazadeh

Authors
  1. Abbas Jafari
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  2. Rogaieh Bargeshadi
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  3. Fatemeh Jafari
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  4. Iraj Mohebbi
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  5. Mohammad Hajaghazadeh
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Mohammad Hajaghazadeh.

Ethics declarations

Research involving human participants and/or animals

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/ or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki Declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. The study protocol was approved by the Scientific and Ethical Review Board of Urmia University of Medical Sciences (IR.UMSU.REC.1395.128).

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Informed consent

Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

Funding

Financial support was provided by a Grant from Urmia University of Medical Sciences in Iran.

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Jafari, A., Bargeshadi, R., Jafari, F. et al. Environmental and biological measurements of isoflurane and sevoflurane in operating room personnel. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 91, 349–359 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00420-017-1287-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00420-017-1287-y

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