A method for reducing theatre contamination by exhaled anesthetic drugs

Abstract

Over the past few years it has been shown by different investigators that gaseous anesthetics in the atmosphere of operating theatres are a potential danger to theatre personnel. For instance, these dangers include a greater incidence of fetal fatality in the wives of anesthetists, a higher incidence of lymphoid malignancies in anesthetists and hepatitis. Besides these harmful effects, there is the discomfort, reduced alertness and performance associated with prolonged periods of breathing in small concentrations of volatile anesthetics. A method or reducing gaseous contamination is described, mainly consisting in the venting of exhaled gases. The contamination was reduced remarkably so that even when ether was used nobody in the theatre noticed.