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Original article
Occupational exposure of midwives to nitrous oxide on delivery suites
  1. K A Henderson1,
  2. I P Matthews2,
  3. A Adisesh3,
  4. A D Hutchings4
  1. 1Health, Safety and Environment Unit, University of Wales College of Medicine, Heath Park, Cardiff CF14 4XN, UK
  2. 2Department of Epidemiology, Statistics and Public Health, University of Wales College of Medicine, Heath Park, Cardiff CF14 4XN, UK
  3. 3Occupational Health Department, Trafford General Hospital, Moorside Road, Davyhulme, Manchester M41 5SL, UK
  4. 4Department of Pharmacology, Therapeutics and Toxicology, University of Wales College of Medicine Academic Centre, Llandough Hospital, Cardiff, UK
  1. 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; matthewsipcf.ac.uk

Abstract

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.

  • midwifery
  • nitrous oxide
  • biological monitoring
  • environmental monitoring
  • occupational exposure
  • TWA, time weighted average
  • OES, occupational exposure standard

https://doi.org/10.1136/oem.60.12.958

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