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Waste Anesthetic Gases (WAGs): Minimizing Health Risks and Increasing Awareness

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Abstract

Recent discoveries have shown that exhalation from patients in the postanesthesia care unit (PACU) exposed nurses to significant levels of WAGs based on administration of these anesthetic agents during the patient’s procedures. Nurses can have a critical role to help reduce these levels to the lowest level possible and improve the health of the interdisciplinary team. This chapter will outline the inhalation exposure hazards to nurses and present best practices, administrative, and engineering controls to prevent such exposures.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Indiana Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery Associates, Fishers, IN, USA

    John E. Moenning Jr. DDS, MSD

  2. Patient Care Service, Mercy Medical Center, Baltimore, MD, USA

    Dina A. Krenzischek PhD, RN, CPAN, FAAN

  3. Emeritus Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA

    James D. McGlothlin PhD, MPH, CPE, FAIHA

Authors
  1. John E. Moenning Jr. DDS, MSD
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  2. Dina A. Krenzischek PhD, RN, CPAN, FAAN
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  3. James D. McGlothlin PhD, MPH, CPE, FAIHA
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Owings Mills, MD, USA

    Kathleen A. Gross

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Moenning, J.E., Krenzischek, D.A., McGlothlin, J.D. (2020). Waste Anesthetic Gases (WAGs): Minimizing Health Risks and Increasing Awareness. In: Gross, K. (eds) Advanced Practice and Leadership in Radiology Nursing. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-32679-1_13

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-32679-1_13

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-32678-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-32679-1

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