Greener Anesthesia for Healthier Patients and Planet

A new study published in The Lancet Planetary Health suggests that adopting greener anesthesia practices could cut harmful emissions by 50% in just one year—without compromising patient safety (1^✔ ✔Trusted Source
Environmental and patient safety outcomes of a health-system Green Anesthesia Initiative (GAIA)

Go to source). Researchers from the University of Michigan found that replacing traditional inhaled anesthetic agents with environmentally friendly alternatives significantly reduces greenhouse gas emissions linked to medical procedures.

Reducing Healthcare's Carbon Footprint

The healthcare sector is a major contributor to carbon emissions, with anesthetic gases alone accounting for about 3% of hospital-related emissions. Lead researcher Douglas Colquhoun emphasized the urgent need for change, stating, "We've shown that small changes in our practice lead to big changes for the environment and, importantly, no changes for the patients."

The study measured carbon dioxide (CO2) equivalents, a standard metric for greenhouse gas impact, alongside patient outcomes such as post-surgery nausea, pain, and awareness during surgery. Researchers specifically advocated reducing the use of nitrous oxide—270 times more potent than CO2 in warming the planet—and increasing the use of sevoflurane, a less harmful alternative to isoflurane.

These modifications resulted in a significant drop of over 14 kg per surgical case in CO2 emissions. Crucially, patient outcomes remained unchanged, reinforcing the feasibility of implementing greener anesthesia in hospitals worldwide.

Reference:

1. Environmental and patient safety outcomes of a health-system Green Anesthesia Initiative (GAIA) - (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanplh/article/PIIS2542-5196(24)00331-0/fulltext)

Source-Medindia