Editorial
THIICKENNG VAPlORS - II The Department of Health, Education and Welfare's Food and Drug Administration has issued new proposed rules establishing requirements for inhalation agents.+ Holders of approved new drug applications for halogenated inhalation anesthetics and future new drug applications will be required to conduct special studies, in animals, to determine the carcinogenic and teratogenic effects of such products. They will also require studies on nitrous oxide, since most newer inhalation anesthetics are used in combination with nitrous oxide. Thus, the pharmaceutical companies will be required to provide this pertinent information on all existing inhalation anesthetics as well as newer agents.
Preliminarv epidemiological studies and animal studies have raised this question of association but have not proven a cause and effect relationship. In dentistry, the American Dental Association is supporting a questionnaire to its membership to gain further retrospective data relative to the possible role of nitrous oxide in teratogenicity. Various estimates show that approximately % of practicing dentists use nitrous oxide in their offices. The potential for exposure to nitrous pollution for the dentist and his office personnel is high and methods are being sought to clean up and control this possible source of contamination without eliminating nitrous oxide as a very useful agent in the management of dental patients.
The A.D.A. Committee concerned with this area will be making its specific recommendations for dental offices in the near future. A number of preliminary suggestions have been spelled out, such as using lower flow rates, better machine maintenance to reduce leakage, improved circulation of room air to prevent build-up of waste gasses around the heads of the patient and professional personnel and the incorporation of a new double system inhalation-evacuation nasal mask. (Thickening Vapors, Anesth. Prog. Editorial 23:1,5, 1976) N.T.
* Federal Register 41:69, April 8, 1976
MAY-JUNIE, 1976
75
THIICKENNG VAPlORS - II The Department of Health, Education and Welfare's Food and Drug Administration has issued new proposed rules establishing requirements for inhalation agents.+ Holders of approved new drug applications for halogenated inhalation anesthetics and future new drug applications will be required to conduct special studies, in animals, to determine the carcinogenic and teratogenic effects of such products. They will also require studies on nitrous oxide, since most newer inhalation anesthetics are used in combination with nitrous oxide. Thus, the pharmaceutical companies will be required to provide this pertinent information on all existing inhalation anesthetics as well as newer agents.
Preliminarv epidemiological studies and animal studies have raised this question of association but have not proven a cause and effect relationship. In dentistry, the American Dental Association is supporting a questionnaire to its membership to gain further retrospective data relative to the possible role of nitrous oxide in teratogenicity. Various estimates show that approximately % of practicing dentists use nitrous oxide in their offices. The potential for exposure to nitrous pollution for the dentist and his office personnel is high and methods are being sought to clean up and control this possible source of contamination without eliminating nitrous oxide as a very useful agent in the management of dental patients.
The A.D.A. Committee concerned with this area will be making its specific recommendations for dental offices in the near future. A number of preliminary suggestions have been spelled out, such as using lower flow rates, better machine maintenance to reduce leakage, improved circulation of room air to prevent build-up of waste gasses around the heads of the patient and professional personnel and the incorporation of a new double system inhalation-evacuation nasal mask. (Thickening Vapors, Anesth. Prog. Editorial 23:1,5, 1976) N.T.
* Federal Register 41:69, April 8, 1976
MAY-JUNIE, 1976
75
