Room air contamination with halothane during pediatric bronchoscopy

: Halothane anesthesia is frequently used for pediatric bronchoscopy. A disadvantage of the equipment used, a rigid bronchoscope together with inhalation anesthesia is the contamination of the working environment. The aim of this study was to determine the exposure of anesthetist and endoscopist during pediatric bronchoscopy under halothane anesthesia in a worst-case working environment and to compare these measurements with the currently valid international threshold values. Ten children (ASA I-III) scheduled for diagnostic bronchoscopy were included in the study. After induction with thiopentone and relaxation with atracurium all children were intubated with a rigid bronchoscope and manually ventilated through a bypass of the bronchoscope. Anesthesia was maintained by means halothane (0.5-2.0 vol%) in 100% oxygen with a flow of 10 l/min. The investigation was done in an operating room without air conditioning and scavenging system. Trace concentrations were measured every 2 minutes in the breathing zones of the anesthetist and the endoscopist by means of a highly sensitive direct reading instrument. Lower detection limit was 0.02 ppm. The mean age (+/- SD) of the children was 29.9 +/- 15.9 months (range: 4 weeks-48 months). Ventilation and oxygenation were stable throughout the bronchoscopic procedure. Mean exposure (+/- SEM) to halothane was 57.7 +/- 18.9 ppm for the anesthetist and 96.3 +/- 22.9 ppm for the endoscopist. The difference was statistically significant (ANOVA, P < 0.05). All international threshold values (2-50 ppm) were exceeded by far. Peak concentrations higher than 200 ppm halothane could be detected several times. The main result of the present study is that under the given situation in the operating room with insufficient room ventilation and no scavenging system halothane anesthesia for rigid bronchoscopy in children results in an occupational exposure that is higher than all known health regulation guidelines. Therefore, in case of insufficient working conditions total intravenous anesthesia might be a better alternative also in very small infants.