What is WAG?

WAG, or waste anesthetic gas, is the result of patients exhaling the anesthetic gas in their bodies following an operation. Depending on their body type, the solubility of the gas, and the amount of gas that is used for the procedure, the patient's body typically does not process all of the gas, so significant amounts are exhaled following their procedure. While this anesthetic gas is typically not harmful to a patient because it is only administered for one operation, the effects could be cumulative for nurses who spend every day working closely with post-op patients.

Are PACU nurses at risk?

Because the patient is the main source of waste anesthetic gases in the PACU, it is more difficult to control clinician exposure. The extent of the exposure may also be difficult to quantify because measurements of anesthetic gases are often taken from different parts of recovery rooms. This poses a challenge as these systems and measurements may not account for the WAG levels in the patient's breathing zone.

PACU nurses are at risk because of the lack of close regulation on how much of these waste gases they are directly exposed to for significant periods of time each day. In August 2002, Krenzischek et al, identified in ASPAN, that there is a potential for staff exposure to WAG in the PACU setting. They noted that there were higher levels of WAG at the patient's breathing zone compared to the RN work environment and pointed out that NIOSH recommends that the risk be minimized by reducing exposures to the greatest extent possible.

EXPOSING THE INVISIBLE RISK

WASTE ANESTHETIC GASES IN THE PACU

If you are a health care professional caring for patients in recovery rooms or post-anesthesia care units (PACUs), what you don't know about anesthetic gases could impact your health. Anyone in close proximity to a post-op patient's breathing zone multiple times a day is at risk for inhaling the waste anesthetic gases (WAG) that the patient exhales.