Together with scavenging and proper ventilation, monitoring on waste anesthetic gases plays a vital role in preventing serious health effects of workers in operating rooms, dental facilities and veterinaries.

Workplace exposures to Waste Anesthetic Gases (WAGs)

It is estimated that in the U.S alone more than 200,000 (1) healthcare professionals are potentially exposed to waste anesthetic gases, and therefore might face occupational illness.

Anesthetic gases find their way to the worker environments through various channels:

• Leaks in some parts of the anesthesia machine, such as in the valves, defective rubber and plastic tubes, hoses, ventilator bellows, etc
• Poorly fitting face masks
• Through exhale (in recovery rooms)

Commonly used anesthetic agents can be divided into two categories

1. Nitrous oxide. First introduced in 1844 and is still in active use.
2. Halogenated agents. Developed in the 1950s to replace the flammable and explosive agents used in that period. Most anesthetic gases used today are included in this category, such as
   1. halothane (Fluothane®)
   2. enflurane (Ethrane^®)
   3. isoflurane (Forane®)
   4. desflurane (Suprane^®)
   5. sevoflurane (Ultane^®)

Various studies have reported positive associations between anesthetic exposures and reproductive problems in women and developmental defects in their offspring, together with various other short- and long-term health effects (2). Additionally, excessive anesthetic gases can negatively affect personnel during demanding tasks, such as medical operations.

Due to the potential hazards caused by WAGs exposure, it has become a matter clinicians need to be concerned with while ensuring indoor air quality in hospitals and other healthcare facilities.  Together with scavenging and effective ventilation systems, air monitoring is one of the fundamental tools used in minimizing worker exposure to anesthetic agents.

Problem with badges – uncertainty and weeks of waiting

Currently, many hospitals, dental clinics and veterinaries face uncertainty and extensive waiting times in their WAGs monitoring. Solutions such as waste anesthetic gas badges collect samples that then need to be sent to a laboratory or to a separate analyzer for results. A normal waiting time from sampling to results can be two weeks or more.

With extensive waiting times, it is essentially impossible to detect the source through which the WAGs ended up in the working environment. Weak situational awareness caused by long feedback loops in WAGs monitoring also makes it difficult to find causalities and improve processes. Situations where WAGs exposure negatively affects medical personnel during demanding operations can only be addressed when results from air monitoring are available in real time.

NDIR vs. FTIR

Outside gas badges, many facilities use portable gas analyzers based on Nondispersive Infrared (NDIR) or Fourier-Transform Infrared (FTIR) technologies. While both methods are useful for detecting and quantifying gases, FTIR holds several advantages over NDIR analyzers. Unlike NDIR, which measures only separate wavelength bands and requires multiple measurements for multiple gases, FTIR analyzers capture an entire infrared spectrum, allowing for the measurement of multiple gases simultaneously. This comprehensive analysis capability makes FTIR analyzers highly versatile, enabling the identification of unknown gases and providing better sensitivity and accuracy for your WAG analysis.

Additionally, FTIR analyzers make it possible to adapt to changing measurement needs with just some software adjustments. This introduces savings in annual service costs by eliminating the need for hardware modifications commonly associated with NDIR analyzers. In short, FTIR analyzers are the preferred choice when comprehensive gas analysis and adaptability are needed.

Fast and portable measurements

Many advantages can be achieved by using portable direct-reading instruments in WAGs monitoring. The possibility to measure all frequently used anesthetic waste gases simultaneously reduces risks in healthcare facilities with multiple operating rooms. As there is no need for time-consuming separate sampling and sample treatment, measurements can be performed a lot quicker. This enables more comprehensive surveys of the air quality as a lot more samples can be collected and measured. Avoiding separate sampling is also cost-effective as no consumables are required for the sampling process. Gasmet GT5000 Terra gas analyzer provides an ideal solution as it offers on-site measurement of air quality without compromising on the quality of the analysis.