Monitoring occupational exposure to inhalation anesthetics.

Air monitoring, an essential feature of the waste gas control program, is best based on measurement of total leakage in time-weighted sampling of N2O present in the anesthetist's breathing zone during clinical anesthesia. Leakage in the high-pressure N2O system is measured separately in a survey of the empty rooms. The infrared N2O analyzer used for these measurements is also useful as a teaching device and in enhancing the safety of the patient.