Chromosome aberrations in operating room personnel

Background Long-term occupational exposure to volatile anesthetic agents may result in various adverse health effects. Additionally, certain surgical procedures involve exposure to rite other agents such as X rays Identification of chromosome damages in peripheral blood lymphocytes serves as a useful indicator of exposure to mutagenic agents. Methods The frequency of chromosomal aberrations was assayed in peripheral lymphocytes obtained from 129 subjects working in operating theatres and 41 control subjects. Results The results show an increased rate of chromosome aberrations in the exposed subjects. The differences in frequency of chromosome aberrations between particular job tasks were nor distinct Acentric fragments in anesthesiologists and dicentrics in surgeons seem to stand our. Conclusions As the findings do not differ significantly between the exposed groups, one can hardly distinguish radiation and anesthetics effects from one another Am. J. Ind. Med. 35:642-646, 1999. (C) 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.