Biological Monitoring of Occupational Exposure to Enflurane (Ethrane) in Operating Room Personnel

Abstract Biological monitoring of occupational exposure to enflurane (ethrane) can be achieved by measuring concentrations of inorganic fluorides in the blood and urine and of enflurane in alveolar air and venous blood. Measurement of these concentrations, however, has limitations. Another method for monitoring exposure to enflurane is to measure its concentration in urine throughout the period of exposure. In this study, we measured the environmental and urinary concentrations of enflurane. Enflurane in the ambient atmosphere was determined in 18 operating theaters of eight hospitals in Italy. Ambient air concentrations exceeded the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health-recommended time-weighted average exposure level of 1 ppm (median: 1.31 ppm). Enflurane was detected in urine of 159 exposed subjects (anesthetists, surgeons, and nurses). A significant correlation was found between enflurane concentration in urine produced during the shift and environmental concentration (r = 0.77, p = .0...