Sevoflurane is a widely used volatile agent for induction and maintenance of anaesthesia. The administration of sevoflurane involves the risk of occupational exposure. Possible negative implications of chronic occupational exposure to sevoflurane are not completely refuted. In Germany no maximum workplace concentration for sevoflurane is defined. This study aims to find out if working conditions of physicians and different anaesthesia techniques effect the extent of occupational exposure to sevoflurane.
In this prospective observational trial 7 cohorts of 4 participants each are investigated. The cohorts consist of physicians working at different places in the operating theatre with different occupational exposure to sevoflurane, and one cohort not working in the operating theatre at all. In order to determine the extent of occupational exposure to sevoflurane a human biomonitoring is conducted. Urinary Sevoflurane and its metabolite hexafluoroisopropanol (HFIP) are measured after 3 consecutive working days. UPDATE: After detecting traces of HFIP in all cohorts even in physicians not working in the operating theatre measurements were repeated, more cohorts were added including a negative control and measurements before the study period of 3 consecutive working days were added. UPDATE: For comparison one cohort of patients having undergone sevoflurane anaesthesia was added.
Study Type
OBSERVATIONAL
Enrollment
40
Concentration of hexafluoroisopropanol and Sevoflurane are measured in urine by gas chromatography
Universitätsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf
Hamburg, Germany
Urinary HFIP concentration (µg/l)
After 3 consecutive days of work a urine sample is collected and urinary HFIP is measured by gas chromatography
Time frame: After 3 consecutive days of work
Urinary sevoflurane concentration (µg/l)
After 3 consecutive days of work a urine sample is collected and urinary sevoflurane is measured by gas chromatography
Time frame: After 3 consecutive days of work
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