[Infrared spectrometry and gas chromatography for determination of halothane in operation rooms (author's transl)]

Chronic halothane intoxication is a health hazard to anaesthetic personnel and requires permanent control of the degree of exposure. Two different methods are described: a continuous infrared spectrometric and an intermittent gas chromatographic determination of airborne halothane. An elaborate instruction for the measuring procedure is given; calibration techniques and detection limits are discussed. Data from operating rooms with different security equipment are listed. For determining the total burden gas chromatography is the method of choice, as the concentration range to be detected is rather low in general. In addition infrared spectrometric concentration monitoring gives valuable information about concentration peaks caused by typical handling in an operation room.