Waste anaesthetic gas exposure in veterinary surgeries: a need for scavenging systems

Authors: Barr FM
Publication: New Zealand Veterinary Journal, Volume 35, Issue 5, pp 68-71, May 1987
Publisher: Taylor and Francis

Animal type: General
Subject Terms: Anaesthesia/analgesia/sedation, Animal remedies/veterinary medicines, Instruments/equipment/technique, Management, Veterinary profession, Surgery, Animal production/wastage
Article class: Review Article

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Abstract: In recent years the medical profession has shown increasing concern over the potential health hazard of chronic exposure to anaesthetic gases. People engaged in full time veterinary anaesthesia or surgery may be expected to experience cxposurcs similar to those documented among human surgical and anaesthetic personnel. However, veterinarians in private practice may have less exposure to trace anaesthetic gases than do surgical teams in human hospitals. Wingfield et al. estimated that the mean number of hours per week personnel used inhalation anaesthetics ranged from 1-20 among small animal and mixed practice veterinarians. The most frequently used anaesthetic gases. of which exposure to is of prime concern are nitrous oxide and the halogenated gases methoxyllurnne and halothane. Risk of chronic exposure to these gases is higher in veterinary hospitals because of the increased frequency with which inhalation anaesthesia is administered. All personnel within a veterinary hospital/clinic are exposed to varying levels of waste anaesthetic gas. It is not only veterinarians who are in the high exposure category but also anaesthetists and animal technicians. Animal technicians may in fact have a greater weekly exposure time than veterinarians as they may be assisting more than one surgeon during the week or may be more frequently involved with anaesthesia inductions…

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