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Chromosome aberrations in operating room personnel
Author(s) -
Rozgaj Ružica,
Kašuba Vilena,
Perić Mladen
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
american journal of industrial medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.7
H-Index - 104
eISSN - 1097-0274
pISSN - 0271-3586
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1097-0274(199906)35:6<642::aid-ajim11>3.0.co;2-n
Subject(s) - medicine , chromosome , occupational exposure , peripheral blood , chromosome aberration , peripheral , anesthesia , toxicology , genetics , immunology , emergency medicine , gene , biology
Background Long‐term occupational exposure to volatile anesthetic agents may result in various adverse health effects. Additionally, certain surgical procedures involve exposure to the 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 not distinct. Acentric fragments in anesthesiologists and dicentrics in surgeons seem to stand out. 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. © 1999 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.