Workplace Safety Ch.5 Objectives. Flashcards
Identify recommended exposure limits (RELs) for waste anesthetic gases.
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) recommends that the concentration of any volatile gas anesthetic (including isoflurane, sevoflurane, and desflurane) not exceed 2 ppm when used alone. If used with nitrous oxide, the concentration of these agents should not exceed 0.5 ppm, and the nitrous oxide concentration should not exceed 25 ppm. These recommended exposure limits (RELs) were chosen because they were the lowest concentrations that were detectable using the recommended analytic techniques, and these levels were found to be achievable at the time these recommendations were originally published in 1977. By smell alone, operating room personnel are unable to tell the point at which waste gases exceed the recommended limit.
Describe the short-term effects of waste anesthetic gas on persons working in health care environments.
The short-term problems associated with breathing waste gas appear to arise from a direct effect of anesthetic molecules on brain neurons. Persons working in environments with a high level of waste gas have reported symptoms such as fatigue, headache, drowsiness, nausea, depression, and irritability.
Compare and contrast active and passive scavenging systems.
An active system uses suction created by a vacuum pump or fan to draw gas into the scavenger.
Passive system uses the positive pressure of the gas in the anesthetic machine to “push” gas into the scavenger.
Explain how waste anesthetic gases are monitored.
Waste gas levels may be monitored by professional occupational hygienists or by the use of detector badges.
Describe procedures and practices used to minimize waste gas release.
These practices include minimizing leaks in anesthetic delivery systems, following anesthetic techniques and procedures that minimize usage of anesthetic gases, avoiding spills of liquid anesthetic, capturing exhaled waste gas, and minimizing the use of anesthetic techniques that make effective scavenging difficult such as use of masks and chambers.
Identify hazards associated with use of compressed gas cylinders and potent injectable agents.
-The force of gas is sufficient to tear skin or the cornea of the eye or cause the operator to lose his or her grip and drop the cylinder. For these reasons, a cylinder should never be turned on unless it is connected to an anesthetic machine or a pressure-reducing valve.-All anesthetic agents are potentially toxic to personnel handling them. Skin exposure, eye splash, or oral ingestion of injectable drugs or inhalation agents may be hazardous (or even fatal).
Describe proper procedures for handling, storing, and transporting compressed gas cylinders.
Chain or belt large cylinders to a wall and always store them in an upright position. Small tanks should always be attached to an anesthetic machine, chained or belted to the wall, or stored in an approved cart. To prevent injuries, persons connecting compressed gas cylinders to an anesthetic machine or gas piping system should wear impact-resistant goggles to protect their eyes from jets of gas.
Full tanks should be kept separate from empty tanks and also should be clearly labeled for quick identification.
Outline the precautions necessary for handling potentially hazardous injectable agents.
-Never handle these agents unless you have been adequately trained in their safe use, potential adverse effects, and treatment in case of exposure.
* Never work with these agents alone.
* Be sure that an oxygen source with an appropriate mask is available for immediate use.
* Have a written emergency response plan for on-site treatment of exposed personnel, including provision for cardiovascular and respiratory support, notification of emergency personnel, and transport to the emergency room.
* Have a stocked emergency exposure kit immediately available at all times.
- Proper storage in a locked safe.
list factors that affect waste gas levels in a veterinary hospital.
The level of waste anesthetic gas that is present is influenced by a variety of factors such as the seal achieved by the endotracheal tube cuff, the presence or absence of machine leaks, exposure to exhaled air from the patient, and whether or not a chamber was used; however it is primarily influenced by whether or not a scavenging system is used. A scavenging system is a device that is attached to the breathing circuit of an anesthetic machine to capture waste anesthetic gases and discharge them outside the clinic
Describe the long-term effects of waste anesthetic gas on persons working in health care environments.
Long-term inhalation of high levels of waste gas may be associated with serious health problems, including reproductive disorders, liver and kidney damage, bone marrow abnormalities, and chronic nervous system dysfunction.
Describe the four components of a scavenging system.
A scavenging system has four basic components:
1. The waste gas port- is the opening through which WAGs exit the pop-off valve on a rebreathing system or the overflow valve on a non-rebreathing system.
2. Transfer tubing- conveys WAGs from the waste gas port to the interface
3. The interface- provides storage for WAGs in a reservoir until they are removed by the evacuation system.
4. Gas evacuation system- removes WAGs by conveying them to the atmosphere outside the building.
