References 1. Linde HV, Bruce DL: Occupational exposure of anesthetists to halothane. nitrous oxide and radiation. Anesthesiology 30:363-368, 1969. 2. Corbett TH: Retention of anesthetic agents following occupational exposure. Anestl, Analg (Cleve) 52:614-Gli, 1973. 3. Salvini M, Binaschi S, Riva M: Evaluation of the psychophysiological functions in humans exposed to trichloroethylene. Br J Ind Med 28:293-295, 1971. 4. Bruce DL: A simple way to vent anesthetic gases. Anesth Analg (Cl

Abstract

Forty male students were each exposed on two occasions to four hours of inhalation of either air or 500 ppm nitrous oxide with or without 15 ppm halothane in air. Immediately following exposure, a battery of tests of perceptual, cognitive and motor skills was administered. Compared with responses after breathing of air, those after exposure to nitrous oxide and halothane showed significant decrements in performances of a task in which attention was divided between auditory and visual signals, a visual tachistoscopic test, and memory tests involving digit span and recall of word pairs. Subjects exposed to nitrous oxide alone scored
significantly lower on the digit-span test only.

(Key words: Anesthetics, Volatile: halothane; Anesthetics, gases: nitrous oxide; Psychologic function.)

References

1. Linde HV, Bruce DL: Occupational exposure of anesthetists to halothane. nitrous oxide and radiation. Anesthesiology 30:363-368, 1969.

2. Corbett TH: Retention of anesthetic agents following occupational exposure. Anestl, Analg (Cleve) 52:614-Gli, 1973.

3. Salvini M, Binaschi S, Riva M: Evaluation of the psychophysiological functions in humans exposed to trichloroethylene. Br J Ind Med 28:293-295, 1971.

4. Bruce DL: A simple way to vent anesthetic gases. Anesth Analg (Cleve) 52:595-598, 197.3