Introduction: Contamination of operating theaters with the waste anesthetic gases
(WAGs) is unavoidable. Halogenated anesthetics namely halothane, isoflurane,
desflurane, and sevoflurane are the major constituents of WAGs. Medical personnel are
exposed to lower WAGs concentrations than patients, yet their extended exposure over
years magnifies the risk of WAGs-associated toxicity. Aim of Work: To investigate
the possible toxic effects of exposure to the halogenated inhalational anesthetics on
the general health, liver functions, oxidative parameters, and cognitive functions of
occupationally exposed personnel, and to study the effect of exposure duration / years
on such effects. Materials and Methods: The current study was conducted on 56
healthcare workers (HCW) (28 exposed and 28 non-exposed) who were subjected to
a questionnaire, medical examination, liver function tests, oxidative stress analysis,
and Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MOCA). Results: Clinical evaluation of both
groups revealed a statistically significant increase in the frequency of headache,
dizziness, and fatigue among the exposed group compared to the non-exposed. Also, a
significant elevation in the mean values of aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline
phosphatase (ALP), total bilirubin, and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, along with
reduction in the total antioxidant capacity (TAC), attention, language, delayed recall,
and total MOCA score were noticed among the exposed group compared to the nonexposed.
A statistically significant positive correlation was found between the duration
of exposure / years and levels of ALP, bilirubin, and MDA in serum, while a statistically
significant negative correlation was detected between the exposure duration / years
and TAC and total MOCA score as well, among the exposed group. Conclusion and
Recommendations: Occupational exposure to inhalation halogenated anesthetics is
associated with adverse health effects like headache, dizziness, fatigue, altered hepatic
functions, impaired redox balance, and disturbed cognitive functions. In addition,
exposure duration / years positively correlates with the hepatic dysfunction and lipid
peroxidation and negatively with the TAC and total MOCA score in the occupationally
exposed personnel. A central high-flow scavenging system and low leakage anesthesia
machines are strongly required in all the operating theaters.