International archives of occupational and environmental health
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Int Arch Occup Environ Health · May 1999
Occupational exposure to sevoflurane during sedation of adult patients.
In a field study we evaluated the workplace pollution occurring during conscious sedation with sevoflurane in adults. ⋯ The trace gas concentrations were low and comparable with values obtained under inhalation induction in adults and children. Although no occupational standard for sevoflurane is currently defined, the measured values are clearly under the standards recommended for enflurane (20 ppm) and isoflurane (10 ppm) by the European health authorities. We conclude that the new anesthesiologic method of conscious sedation with sevoflurane in adults using a nasal mask would not result in a violation of occupational standards, provided that the future value set for sevoflurane would be similar to those recommended for isoflurane or enflurane.