Second-hand exposure to aerosolized intravenous anesthetics (fentanyl) among anesthesiologists in Jordan

ABSTRACT

Objectives: Fentanyl is a potent opioid that is used as intravenous infusion in anesthesia, and it is considered the most abused opioid among anesthesiologists. This is a qualitative study conducted to provide background regarding the liability of drug abuse among anesthesia personnel.

Method: The main aim of this study was to investigate the presence of fentanyl droplets in the ambient of operating rooms where it is used. In this study, tandem mass spectrometry analysis (MS/MS) was conducted on samples collected from the air of a cardiovascular operating room to detect the presence of fentanyl droplets.

Results: Analysis of samples collected from the areas surrounding the sharp box and the expiratory end of the patient’s respiratory circuit confirmed the presence of fentanyl in the ambient air. Samples taken from outside the cardiovascular suite showed no presence of fentanyl.

Conclusion: The study highlights the importance of raising the safety bar in the operating room to protect anesthesia personnel from the risk of long-term exposure to fentanyl and other anesthesia drugs.

KEYWORDS:

• Fentanyl
• anesthesiologists
• Jordan
• second hand exposure
• opioids

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank all anesthesiologists and nurses at the participating hospitals who helped in data collection. Moreover, the authors would like to thank Administration and technical staff at Acdima (Arab Co For Drug Industries & Medical Appliances) for their tremendous help in analysis of samples. Finally, the authors would like to thank Deanship of Academic Research (DAR) at The University of Jordan for funding this project.

Disclosure of potential conflict of interest

The authors report no conflicts of interest of any kind related to the work of this research paper.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Deanship of Academic Research, University of Jordan [8150158].