Health effects of pollution of operating theatre environment with halothane during anaesthesia; a comparative study

Introduction: The possible adverse effects of long-term anaesthetic gas exposure on medical personnel working in operating theatres were analysed. The results of this study could be used to improve the gas scavenging techniques.

Methods: An analysis of data obtained from a questionnaire administered to 40 health care workers working in the theatre environment (exposed group) and another 40 working outside the theatre (unexposed group).

Results: Symptoms such as headache (30 subjects vs 5 subjects), dizziness (18 subjects vs no subjects), drowsiness (30 subjects vs no subjects), and irritability (5 subjects vs no subjects) were significantly higher among exposed compared to the unexposed group. The Chi-square analysis showed a P value less than 0.001 for the above symptoms.

Conclusions: There is a higher prevalence of symptoms related to nervous system among people exposed to theater environment. Scavenging anaesthetic gases becomes difficult when un-cuffed tubes and open circuit are widely used, such as in paediatric practice. This significantly exposes the theatre staff to anaesthetic gases. A low flow closed breathing circuit along with a scavenging system should be used at all times unless there is a reason not to do so.

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.4038/gmj.v19i2.7907

Galle Medical Journal 2014 19(2): 6-8