Add like
Add dislike
Add to saved papers

Biomonitoring of exposure to nitrous oxide, sevoflurane, isoflurane and halothane by automated GC/MS headspace urinalysis.

OBJECTIVES: The goal of the present study was to develop an automated method to assess by biological monitoring, the volatile-anaesthetic exposure (nitrous oxide, sevoflurane, isoflurane and halothane) in operating theatre personnel.

METHODS: Post-shift urine samples were analysed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry coupled with static headspace sampling (GC-MS/ HSS); intra-assay %-RSD (n= 10) was less than 5% for nitrous oxide and less than 7% for each halogenated vapour. The biomonitoring method was validated with air monitoring data, obtained by personal samplers and a similar GC-MS method. The sensitivity achieved by single ion monitoring (SIM) was sufficient to reveal low biological and environmental exposure averages down to 1 microg/l(urine) and 0.5 ppm for nitrous oxide and 0.1 microg/l(urine) and 50 ppb for halogenated compounds, respectively.

RESULTS: In 1998 we collected and analysed 714 post-shift urine samples for the biological monitoring of volatile anaesthetics in the urine of the operating-theatre personnel of Sant'Orsola-Malpighi Hospital (Bologna, Italy). Our data showed that nitrous oxide (N20), the anaesthetic most largely used in general anaesthesia, is still the decisive factor in operating-theatre pollution. Moreover, on the basis of our results, working in close contact with anaesthetics seems to be the main determinant of risk: surgical nurses and anaesthesiologists are the most-exposed professional categories (mean post-shift urinary N2O approximately 65 microg/l(urine)) while general theatre staff, surgeons, and auxiliary personnel have significantly lower exposure.

CONCLUSIONS: The biological monitoring of post-shift unmodified urinary volatile anaesthetics was confirmed to be a useful tool for evaluating individual exposure to these chemicals. The urinary concentrations of N2O and of halogenated vapours might reflect, to a certain extent, the external exposure to these compounds, and respiratory air-monitoring data support the validity of biological monitoring. Furthermore, the good relationship between air and urinary concentration of anaesthetics in people working in closer contact with these chemicals may be a good indirect means of revealing the bad air conditions of operating rooms, and may contribute to the highlighting and correction of service defects in anaesthesiology equipment and of human errors.

Full text links

We have located links that may give you full text access.
Can't access the paper?
Try logging in through your university/institutional subscription. For a smoother one-click institutional access experience, please use our mobile app.

For the best experience, use the Read mobile app

Mobile app image

Get seemless 1-tap access through your institution/university

For the best experience, use the Read mobile app

All material on this website is protected by copyright, Copyright © 1994-2024 by WebMD LLC.
This website also contains material copyrighted by 3rd parties.

By using this service, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy.

Your Privacy Choices Toggle icon

You can now claim free CME credits for this literature searchClaim now

Get seemless 1-tap access through your institution/university

For the best experience, use the Read mobile app