Reproduction Effect of Ethylene Oxide in Health Care Employees(1)

Éva Szakmáry, György Ungváry

National Institute of Occupational Health,
József Fodor National Center for Public Health, Budapest, Hungary
 
Corresponding author: Prof. Dr. György Ungváry M.D., Ph.D.,D.Sc.
Director General
H-1450 Budapest, Hungary
P.O. Box 22
Phone: (361) 215-5491


(1) The study was supported by the grants No T-020875/1996 OTKA and No T-244/1996 of the Ministry of Welfare of Hungary.


Keywords:
Ethylene oxide, health care employees, spontaneous abortion, work hygienic conditions

Abstract:
Abstract: On the basis of a questionnaire study it was concluded that the frequency of “spontaneous” abortions and mestruation disorders was higher among ETO-exposed women (nurses, physicians, operating room assistants, technicians) than in the controls. Lack of work hygienic conditions of gas sterilization as well as the higher than the limit value concentration of ETO in the workplace air seriously endanger both the viability of the fetus, and maternal health, and increase the risk of reproduction toxicity. Furthermore, it was found that since 1983, the majority of the health institutions had taken measures for the protection of the health of those exposed to ETO with respect to the genotoxic, carcinogenic and offspring damaging effect. In 295 of the institutions formalin chamber sterilization was introduced, and most of them ensured acceptable work hygienic conditions for ETO-sterilization, too, by means of organizational and/or technical ameliorations.


Received: 23 November 1998
Accepted: 03 December 1998

Posted: 18 November 1998

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