ORIGINAL ARTICLE

Occupational exposure of midwives to nitrous oxide on delivery suites

K A Henderson¹, I P Matthews², A Adisesh³ and A D Hutchings⁴

¹ Health, Safety and Environment Unit, University of Wales College of Medicine, Heath Park, Cardiff CF14 4XN, UK
² Department of Epidemiology, Statistics and Public Health, University of Wales College of Medicine, Heath Park, Cardiff CF14 4XN, UK
³ Occupational Health Department, Trafford General Hospital, Moorside Road, Davyhulme, Manchester M41 5SL, UK
⁴ Department of Pharmacology, Therapeutics and Toxicology, University of Wales College of Medicine Academic Centre, Llandough Hospital, Cardiff, UK

Correspondence to:
Correspondence to:
Dr I P Matthews
Department of Epidemiology, Statistics and Public Health, University of Wales College of Medicine, Heath Park, Cardiff CF14 4XN, UK; matthewsip{at}cf.ac.uk

Aims: To compare environmental and biological monitoring of midwives for nitrous oxide in a delivery suite environment.

Methods: Environmental samples were taken over a period of four hours using passive diffusion tubes. Urine measurements were taken at the start of the shift and after four hours.

Results: Environmental levels exceeded the legal occupational exposure standards for nitrous oxide (100 ppm over an 8 hour time weighted average) in 35 of 46 midwife shifts monitored. There was a high correlation between personal environmental concentrations and biological uptake of nitrous oxide for those midwives with no body burden of nitrous oxide at the start of a shift, but not for others.

Conclusions: Greater engineering control measures are needed to reduce daily exposure to midwives to below the occupational exposure standard. Further investigation of the toxicokinetics of nitrous oxide is needed.

Keywords: midwifery; nitrous oxide; biological monitoring; environmental monitoring; occupational exposure

Abbreviations: TWA, time weighted average; OES, occupational exposure standard

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This article has been cited by other articles:

• Imbriani, M, Ghittori, S, Maestri, L, Matthews, I (2004). Occupational exposure of midwives to nitrous oxide on delivery suites * Author's reply. Occup. Environ. Med. 61: 558-558 [Full Text]  

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Occupational exposure of midwives to nitrous oxide on delivery suites

Sergio Ghittori, et al.

Occup Environ Med Online, 18 Dec 2003 [Full text]