A Study on Pollution by Waste Anesthetic Gases and Its Control : Measurements Done in Surgical Center, University of Tokyo Hospital : II : On Pollution in Operating Theater Outside of Operating Rooms (SO Called Secondary Pollution)

Abstract

So called sevondary pollution by waste anesthetic gases in the operating theater outside of operating rooms was studied.Without anesthetic gas scavenging system, wide sectors of operating theater was highly pollured by nitrous oxide, which we measured with Miran 103 intrated analyser. Especially, control room areas where lot of operating room personnel work are considerably polluted (control room : 43 ppm, inter phone room : 46 ppm, recovery room : 52 ppm).This was due both to the plan of our operating theater and to its ventilation system, which directs flow from the operating rooms toward these areas. It is now clear that people working in the Operating Department cannot be free from high degree of anestheic gas pollution, even if they are not working in the operating rooms themselves.When scavenging systems was used, all over the operating theater showed lower than NIOSH published acceptable level of N_2O pullution, that is 25 ppm.To completely eliminate pollution, much more effort seems to be needed.