Anaesthetists measurements

In SED VII and VIII, reference was made to the possible deleterious effects of low concentrations of anaesthetic agents in the atmosphere of operating rooms. More specifically, the influence on abortion rates and congenital anomalies of children bom to female anaesthetists was described. Desbaumes et al. (2C) measured brominated metabolites of halothane in the urine of 18 members of the operating theatre staff and found a striking difference between women and men (14.59 mg/1 and 3.04 mg/1 respectively). This difference may be explained by the fact that women staff members are more likely to be continuously present in the operating theatre or that they retain halothane more easily in their body fat. Only the first explanation is consistent with the sex difference in fluroxene toxicity found in mice (3), as this toxicity was more marked in males. 

---