People in the operating room may be exposed to excessive anesthetic gases if certain conditions exist.
Risk factors for excessive exposure to anesthetic gases in the OR:
(1) poor ventilation in the operating room
(2) makeshift operating room and equipment (as in a disaster)
(3) use of the wrong vaporizer or vaporizer failure (page 1174 Ellenhorn)
(4) valve or line leakage
(5) someone abusing an anesthetic agent
(6) failure to use a scavenging and venting system
(7) letting the anesthesia gases flow when not in use
A person with a history of sensitivity to the anesthetic agent may show toxic effects at lower concentrations.
Monitoring can help detect a problem sooner, hopefully before it becomes serious.
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Specialty: Anesthesiology
