Assessment of Nitrous Oxide Concentration in the Operating and Recovery Rooms of Babol University of Medical Sciences

Background & purpose: There are occupational hazards related to Nitrous Oxide (N۲O) in hospitals operating and recovery rooms. These hazards include the decrease of mental performance and audio-visual ability, and reduced fertility, spontaneous abortion and neurological, renal and liver diseases. In this survey, the concentration of Nitrous Oxide in indoor air of hospitals operating and recovery rooms in Babol University of medical sciences was determined. Materials & Methods: This descriptive study was performed in ۲۳ operating rooms and ۳ recovery rooms in ۳ educational hospitals of Babol medical sciences university. The rooms with continuous usage of N۲O with ۲-۳ lit/min of flow of general anesthesia were studied. For sampling and detecting N۲O concentration as part per million (ppm), a portable IR spectrophotometer (۳۰۱۵ model of Bacharach Inc.) was used. The sampling was performed in ۵ different zones of the operating rooms and ۱zone of recovery room in ۳ different hours of work time (۸:۳۰-۹AM, ۱۰:۳۰-۱۱AM and ۱۲:۳۰-۱:۰۰PM). One-way ANOVA ,SPSS ۱۸ was used to analyze data and comparing the means. Results: N۲O concentration mean in ۵ different zones of the operating rooms was ۳۱۸± ۲۲.۶, ۳۲۵.۵± ۲۴.۱, ۲۹۹± ۲۱.۸, and ۳۰۱± ۲۲, ۳۱۴± ۲۳.۷ ppm and in recovery room, it was ۵۱± ۱۵ ppm. There was no significant difference between the means of N۲O concentration in different zones of the operating rooms, but the means of N۲O concentration in different zones of the operating rooms and recovery room were significant (p<۰.۰۵). Conclusion: Considering high average concentration of Nitrous Oxide in different operating and recovery rooms with maximum contamination levels of N۲O, this situation subjects the health personnel to risk. Therefore, further research and applying protection utilities are recommended.

Keywords:

Nitrous Oxide , Operating and Recovery Rooms , Concentration