Blood ethylene oxide levels

Ethylene oxide is rapidly absorbed through the respiratory tract. Due to its high solubility in blood, uptake is largely dependent on the ventilation rate and the concentration of ethylene oxide in the inspired air. Studies in mice indicate that at 0.5 ppm, 100% of the inspired ethylene oxide is absorbed. At higher concentrations, the percentage absorbed decreases from 90% (10 ppm) to 68% (100 ppm) and falls to 36% at 1000 ppm. Humans exposed to ethylene oxide at levels ranging from 0.1 to 10 ppm absorb 75-80% of the inspired ethylene oxide. 

There may be more than one cause for this syndrome. Complement activation by bioincompatible membranes (H4) hypersensitivity to the ethylene oxide used in dialyzer sterilization, to phthalic anhydride, or to isocyanates (plasticizers) used in potting compounds present in the dialyzer caps and entry of bacterial endotoxin from the dialysate into the bloodstream may each play a role (B22, H4, 12). Hypoxemia and high serum levels of the C3a and C5a complement fragments would suggest complement activation (C2, H4), and peripheral blood eosinophilia and high plasma IgE levels would point to a hypersensitivity reactions. Fever and chills, on the other hand, would incriminate endotoxemia. 

A. Specific levels. Blood levels are not available. Ethylene oxide DNA adducts may indicate exposure but are not available for clinical use. 

Poly(ethylene oxide)-b-poly (e-eaprolaetone) Polymeric micellar Reduce kidney uptake, increased levels in blood Cyclosporine A (CyA) carrier with low toxicity... 

A simple cyclic diester of carbonic acid is ethylene carbonate (7.96), a chemical with a toxicity profile resembling that of ethylene glycol (7.97). Metabolic studies have confirmed that ethylene carbonate is hydrolyzed very rapidly to ethylene glycol (whose oxidation is discussed in Chapt. 2 in [7]) and C02. Indeed, rats given an oral dose of ethylene carbonate did not excrete the unchanged xenobiotic in detectable amounts, and blood levels of the diester were ca. 100-fold smaller than those of ethylene glycol [178],... 

---