[Neurobehavioral effects of exposure to anesthetic gases]

Neurobehavioral studies on operating room personnel exposed to anaesthetic gases in hospitals of the Region Lombardia have confirmed findings already reported in the literature. There was high subjective symptomatology and reduced efficiency at psychologic testing among exposed people with protracted exposure. In this group, reaction time was worse at the end of the workshift with respect to the beginning. These changes were reversible after removal from exposure. It was impossible to establish a clear dose/response relationship due to the difficulty to control an important confounding factor, such as stress, in field studies.