Inhalation Anesthesia: An Occupational Hazard

Abstract

An excess incidence of certain cancers, spontaneous abortions, and birth defects in their offspring has been documented among anesthesia personnel, giving rise to concern about the effects of chronic exposure to anesthetic gases. Yet it is possible, with scavenging equipment and properly designed ventilating systems, to reduce operating room concentrations of these gases by 98%. Why, then, are such measures not yet routine?