The exposure of midwives to nitrous oxide in four hospitals was measured with personal samplers. In three of the four hospitals the average exposure was not significantly less than 100 parts per million (ppm). In one hospital the average exposure was 360 ppm; this was reduced by a factor of about 2.5 when a trial scavenging system was used. Differences in working practices and in the layout, si...

This prospective study of 36 children, ages 44-93 months, receiving nitrous oxide-oxygen under standardized conditions during routine dental procedures was conducted to determine what influence eight selected dental procedures and three patient behaviors had on ambient nitrous oxide (N2O) levels in the dentist's breathing zone. Half the children received nitrous oxide-oxygen via a scavenging na...

INTRODUCTION This review of the safety and risks of nitrous oxide (N(2) O) labor analgesia presents results of a search for evidence of its effects on labor, the mother, the fetus, the neonate, breastfeeding, and maternal-infant bonding. Concerns about apoptotic damage to the brains of immature mammals exposed to high doses of N(2) O during late gestation, possible cardiovascular risks from hyp...

Due to the present evidence for reproductive toxicity of nitrous oxide (N(2)O) among female personnel in health care, exposure of 17 female workers employed in two post-anesthesia care units was evaluated. Geometric mean concentration of nitrous oxide for six recovery room personnel was 3.1 ppm versus 1.17 ppm for eleven employees in surgical nursing units. The longest time needed to reach zero...

Nitrous oxide was an anaesthetic gas that was used for many years. There were many anaesthetic drugs in operations  with many side effects. Nitrous oxide had some side effects too. But it was a safe gas in many times. In hospital personnel who worked in operating rooms exposure to this gas was important. The objective of this study was the introduction of nitrous oxide and neurologic side ...

controlling exposures of workers to nitrous oxide (N2O) during the administration of anesthetic gas in medical, dental, and veterinary operatories. NIOSH concluded in 1977 that exposure to N2O causes decreases in mental performance, audiovisual ability, and manual dexterity [NIOSH 1977b]. A recent study of workers [Rowland et al. 1992] and several experimental animal studies [Corbett et al. 197...

BACKGROUND Nitrous oxide (N(2)O) is the oldest anesthetic in routine clinical use and its occupational exposure is under regulation by many countries. As studies are lacking to demonstrate the status of nitrous oxide levels in operating and recovery rooms of Iranian hospitals, we aimed to study its level in teaching hospitals of Tehran University of Medical Sciences. METHODS During a 6-month ...

BACKGROUND Previous animal and clinical studies showed that nitrous oxide may produce long-term analgesia. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of nitrous oxide in preventing chronic postsurgical pain. We also explored whether methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase gene polymorphisms (1298A>C, 667C>T) would enhance nitrous oxide analgesia. METHODS We conducted a telephone interview a...

Purpose The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) recognizes nitrous oxide/oxygen inhalation as a safe and effective technique to reduce anxiety, produce analgesia, and enhance effective communication between a patient and health care provider. The need to diagnose and treat, as well as the safety of the patient and practitioner, should be considered before using nitrous oxide. By prod...