Help!Worried about gas exposure while pregnant

core0 · Nov 16, 2008

How Dangerous are anesthesia induction gases to unborn children? Right now I am about 6 or so weeks pregnant. I go in for my first OB appiontment tommorow afternoon, but in the mean time I am very worried! I was working in pre op and I started an IV on a child patient in OR while they were using gas to induce them. The OR RN knows I am pregnant and didnt say for me not to be in the room during induction with gas. I guess I just wasnt thinking, I was just trying to help but I should have sayed out of the room during induction. I really hope I have not caused any harm to my baby because of this. I will talk to my OB tommorow but my appointment is not until late afternoon and I am just sitting here all worried!
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Here's a study:

http://www.motherisk.org/prof/updatesDetail.jsp?content_id=334

Bottom line there seems to be little risk. You also have to remember that your exposure down the bed some is much less than the anesthesiologist and I've seen quite a few pregnant anesthesiologists. With modern machines and the scavenging systems there is little to no exposure.

David Carpenter, PA-C

NurseSnarky · Dec 13, 2008

I just watched a video for my orientation about this...and they quoted all of the research over the years concerning this subject. Do a search online.

coteaux · Dec 14, 2008

I know that once you are aware that you're pregnant, you can request not to work with bone cement but Had anybody been pregnant without knowing it yet and been exposed to bone cement in the OR?

$fracturenurse$ · Dec 19, 2008

I worked with a lady orthopedic surgeon who was around bone cement before she knew she was pregnant. She still did total knees after she was pregnant but cut way down on how many she did. She didn't have any problems with the baby.

By the way if you are around C-arm make sure you wear wrap around lead with a skirt. Be safe, refuse to work around bone cement. I'm not sure about anesthesia gases...I was pregnant in the OR, and did a lot of pedi cases and had no problems.

Congratulations....

Tiffany, RN, BSN · Dec 20, 2008

I am about 6 weeks pregnant and a circulator as well. Everything I have read says that we should be very careful around anesthetic gas. I try to stay away from it as much as possible. Also remember to be careful when taking specimens and retrieiving specimen containers. The formaldehyde can be harmful as well. My main concern however is fluoro. I mainly work in urology and we are exposed to a lot of x-ray. I have begun wearing the wrap around gown but I still don't like being in the PERCs where there is constant fluoro until the surgeon finds the stone. Many of my coworkers have assured me that I should be fine but I just don't like it. I can't just quit my job.