Occupational exposure to volatile anaesthetics: a systematic review

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health
• Anesthesiology
• Environmental Health

Background:

• Uncertainty surrounds the health impacts of low-concentration, long-term occupational exposure to volatile anesthetics among healthcare professionals.
• Existing research literature has not definitively established these effects.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review and analyze the available literature on the health effects of volatile anesthetics in occupationally exposed health professionals.
• To synthesize current evidence regarding the risks associated with anesthetic exposure in the workplace.

Main Methods:

• A systematic literature review was conducted between March 2013 and January 2014.
• Searches were performed in Medline and Cochrane libraries using keywords such as 'Anaesthetics AND occupational health' and 'Volatile anaesthetics AND occupational health'.
• Study quality was assessed using the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) methodology.

Main Results:

• An initial search yielded 1429 articles, with 20 additional sources identified.
• After exclusions for duplicates and irrelevant studies, 17 articles were included in the final review.
• The majority of retrieved articles (95.9%) were excluded from the analysis.

Conclusions:

• Evidence for adverse health effects from volatile anesthetics on exposed personnel is limited and inconsistent.
• No adverse effects were observed when environmental exposure levels were maintained within established legal thresholds.
• Further research and improved surveillance methods, including biomarkers, are necessary to better understand and monitor occupational exposure effects.