NIOSH Study Finds Adherence to Anesthesia Care Practices is Lacking
The study did find that scavenging systems are widely used, however.
NIOSH researchers have published a new study that finds adherence to precautionary practices of anesthesia care are lacking. The article, published in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene (JOEH), says that 35 percent of anesthesia care providers included in the study start anesthetic gas flow before applying the mask to pediatric patients, and 14 percent do the same thing for adult patients.
Nineteen percent of those in the study say safe handling procedures were unavailable, while 18 percent never received training on the safe handling of anesthetic gases.
"When precautionary practices are not followed, anesthesia care providers and bystanders are at risk of exposure," NIOSH's press release noted. "Ensuring proper precautionary measures are utilized requires diligence on the part of both employers and healthcare workers."
NIOSH is now urging employers to make sure anesthesia care providers are initially and periodically trained.