[Occupational exposure of operating room staff to anesthetic gases during inhaled induction--a comparison with intravenous anesthesia induction].

Background: The risk of occupational exposure to waste anesthetic gases still remains during inhaled induction. In this study we investigated how much we were occupationally exposed to anesthetic gases during induction period.

Methods: Twenty-six adult patients were induced with sevoflurane 5% using a face mask for three minutes and maintained with sevoflurane 1% after end-tracheal intubations (IH-Group). Twenty-two adult patients were induced with intravenous anesthetics and maintained with sevoflurane 1% after end-tracheal intubations(IV-Group). The concentration of sevoflurane was measured by Multi-gas Monitor 1302 (Bruel & Kjaer: Denmark) every 70 seconds. Sample gas was suctioned from breathing zone of anesthesiologists. All of our operating rooms are equipped with waste gas scavenging system.

Results: The peak concentration of sevoflurane is significantly higher in IH-Group (15.91 +/- 22.64 ppm) compared with IV-group (0.36 +/- 0.25 ppm). The period when sevoflurane concentration exceeded 0.5 ppm is significantly longer IH-Group (18.55 +/- 10.51 min.) compared to IV-Group (1.92 +/- 4.56 min.).

Conclusion: The induction with intravenous anesthetics is a better method in order to reduce occupational exposure of anesthesiologists to anesthetic gases.