Association of Occupational Exposure to Inhaled Agents in Operating Rooms With Incidence of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Among US Female Nurses

Abstract

IMPORTANCE Employment in operating rooms (ORs) may involve exposure to several inhaled agents, including surgical smoke and disinfectants, which are associated with adverse respiratory health effects. However, the association of long-term employment in ORs and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) remains unknown. OBJECTIVE To examine the association of working in an OR with incidence of COPD among female nurses in the US. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS This cohort study used data from the Nurses' Health Study for US female registered nurses who provided information on questionnaires regarding OR