Evaluation of Waste Anesthetic Gas Exposure and Miscarriages at a Veterinary Hospital

Details

• Alternative Title:
  Health Hazard Evaluation Report: Evaluation of Waste Anesthetic Gas Exposure and Miscarriages at a Veterinary Hospital: HHE 2017-0077-3336
• Personal Author:
  Chiu, Sophia ; Li, Jessica F.
• Corporate Authors:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Description:
  In March 2017, employees of a veterinary hospital requested a health hazard evaluation because of concerns that waste anesthetic gas exposures were causing reproductive health effects. The veterinary hospital used isoflurane (primary anesthetic gas used during surgery) and sevoflurane. Active and passive scavenging systems were used. We gathered information about work practices, ventilation, operation and maintenance of scavenging systems, employee exposures to isoflurane, area isoflurane concentrations in the air throughout the veterinary hospital, and employee health. One isoflurane overexposure was measured for an employee who was recovering an animal after surgery. All other personal sampling results were below the lowest occupational exposure limit. Full-shift area concentrations of isoflurane were low. Seven employees reported 12 miscarriages while employed at the veterinary hospital. Our evaluation could not link the reported miscarriages to work at the veterinary hospital. Other reproductive hazards were present including drugs associated with reproductive and developmental toxicity, an x-ray room, and use of an ethylene oxide sterilizer. Less than half of the 17 interviewed operating room employees reported receiving training about the potential health effects of anesthetic gases. We found that both operating rooms were positively pressured compared to the hallway. Prior to our visit, the scavenging systems were incorrectly connected, but had been corrected. We recommended the veterinary hospital (1) replace the passive scavenging systems with active scavenging systems
  
  (2) maintain anesthesia machines and scavenging systems
  
  (3) train employees on hazards within the veterinary hospital
  
  (4) evaluate other reproductive hazards
  
  and (5) ensure proper personal protective equipment is available and used.
  
  
• Subjects:
  Anesthesia Engineering Health Personnel Occupational Health Personal Protective Equipment Pregnancy Safety Urogenital System Veterinarians
• Keywords:
  Anesthesiology Anesthetic Gases Anesthetics Animal Hospital Author Keywords: Veterinary Services Control Equipment Control Systems Control Technology Engineering Controls Ethylene Oxide Isoflurane Miscarriage Operating Rooms Personal Protective Equipment PPE Reproductive Effects Reproductive Hazards Reproductive Outcomes Scavenging System Sevoflurane Sterilizing Agents Veterinarian Veterinary Hospital Veterinary Medicine Veterinary Technician Waste Anesthetic Gas Waste Anesthetic Gases

  More +
• Source:
  Cincinnati, OH: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, HHE 2017-0077-3336, 2019 Mar ; :1-32
• Series:
  Health Hazard Evaluation Reports (HHE)
• DOI:
  https://doi.org/10.26616/NIOSHHHE201700773336
• Publisher:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Field Study
• Place as Subject:
  North Carolina ; OSHA Region 4
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  DSHEFS - Division of Surveillance, Hazard Evaluations, and Field Studies
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  38 pdf pages
• Contributor:
  Tyrawski, Jennifer ; Feldmann, Karl D. ; Booher, Donald ; Moore, Kevin
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20055027
• NTIS Accession Number:
  PB2019-100537
• Citation:
  NIOSH [2019]. Evaluation of waste anesthetic gas exposure and miscarriages at a veterinary hospital. By Li JF, Chiu S. Cincinnati, OH: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Health Hazard Evaluation Report 2017-0077-3336. https://doi.org/10.26616/NIOSHHHE201700773336
• CAS Registry Number:
  Isoflurane (CAS RN 26675-46-7) ; Sevoflurane (CAS RN 28523-86-6) ; Ethylene oxide (CAS RN 75-21-8)
• Editor(s):
  Hamilton, Cheryl
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2019
• NORA Priority Area:
  Services
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• NAICS and SIC Codes:
  541940 - Veterinary Services - (NAICS)
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:d2580bc3f0434ad40504ba1460e4a9e40d45d05cfb3987b608da50e02c9d0bac5c7f590bfccfd40c08279aa3ecef5dffe18c6cc3eb7c572d93de5614ab1e1c27
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/77685/cdc_77685_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 1.22 MB ]