 |
 |
 |
|
   |
||||||||
|
|
|||||||
|
Warning:
This site is being maintained for historical purposes, but has had no new entries since October 1998. To find more recent articles, please visit the following:
- MMWR at http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/mmwrsrch.htm
- CDC Web Search at http://www.cdc.gov/search.htm
Notice to Readers NIOSH Alert: Request for Assistance in Controlling Exposures to Nitrous Oxide During Anesthetic Administration
MMWR 43(28);522
Publication date: 07/22/1994
Table of Contents
POINT OF CONTACT FOR THIS DOCUMENT:
Article
CDC's National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) periodically issues alerts on workplace hazards that have caused death, serious injury, or illness to workers. One such alert, Request for Assistance in Controlling Exposures to Nitrous Oxide During Anesthetic Administration (1), was published recently and is available to the public. *Nitrous oxide is used as an anesthetic agent in medical, dental, and veterinary operatories. Occupational exposures in dental operatories may be excessive and tend to be more difficult to control than in general operating theaters. Approximately 424,000 workers (i.e., dentists, dental assistants, and dental hygienists) practice dentistry in the United States; in a 1991 survey by the American Dental Association, 58% of dentists reported having nitrous oxide anesthetic equipment.
Workers exposed to nitrous oxide may suffer adverse reproductive effects and decreases in mental performance, audiovisual ability, and manual dexterity. This alert presents control measures for preventing or substantially reducing exposure to nitrous oxide during administration of anesthetic gas. These control measures should be part of a written comprehensive safety and health plan for workers.
References
Reference
- NIOSH. NIOSH alert: NIOSH request for assistance in controlling exposures to nitrous oxide during anesthetic administration. Cincinnati: US Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, CDC, 1994; DHHS publication no. (NIOSH)94-100.
* Single copies of this document are available without charge from the Publications Office, Division of Standards Development and Technology Transfer, NIOSH, CDC, Mailstop C-13, 4676 Columbia Parkway, Cincinnati, OH 45226-1998; telephone (800) 356-4674 ({513} 533-8328 for persons outside of the United States); fax (513) 533-8573.
POINT OF CONTACT FOR THIS DOCUMENT:
To request a copy of this document or for questions concerning this document, please contact the person or office listed below. If requesting a document, please specify the complete name of the document as well as the address to which you would like it mailed. Note that if a name is listed with the address below, you may wish to contact this person via CDC WONDER/PC e-mail.
For single issue purchase 800-843-6356
NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH State/Fed Gov: For free copies
write to: CDC, MMWR MS(C-08)
Atlanta, GA 30333
