ORIGINAL RESEARCH
The Effect of Occupational Exposure to Wasted
Halothane on Liver Functions of Operating
Room Personnel
B. Prokes, I. Mikov, M. Glavaski
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Institute of Occupational Health, Faculty of Medicine, University Novi Sad,
Futoska 121, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia
Pol. J. Environ. Stud. 2009;18(5):893-899
KEYWORDS
ABSTRACT
The aims of our study were to determine concentrations of wasted halothane in operating rooms and to
investigate the effect of halothane pollution on liver functions of exposed personnel. The studied group included
operating room personnel from the clinic of surgery, Novi Sad University Clinical Center. Surgeons were
exposed to an average concentration of 29.41 mg/m3, anesthesiologists to 34.60 mg/m3, instrumenting nurses
to 28.62 mg/m3 and anesthetists to 30.09 mg/m3 of halothane. Anesthesiologists in 32% of operations were
exposed to a concentration higher than the threshold limit value, surgeons in 23%, instumenting nurses in 22%
and anesthetists in 18% of operations. Laboratory values of the liver function indicators in the exposed group
were significantly worse than in the control group. The results suggest that exposure to wasted halothane may
be harmful to the livers of operating room personnel.