Desflurane decommissioning: more than meets the eye

Moonesinghe, S. R.

doi:10.1111/anae.16219

Cited by 3 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 27 publications

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“…This is in part because the author groups come from related but separate scientific disciplines. Moonesinghe attempts to find the way forward in the context of an ongoing NHS project to decommission desflurane [6]. However, with anaesthetic gases representing a small (albeit important) proportion of overall NHS carbon emissions, there remain bigger problems facing the peri-operative community in 2024.…”

Section: Old Controversiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Driving down the carbon cost of peri‐operative care: old controversies, new topics, fresh perspectives and the future

Charlesworth,

Laycock

2024

Anaesthesia

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Section: Old Controversiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The breadth of topics included emphasises how understanding has matured in the last decade and points to the direction of travel. However, interest and controversies around volatile anaesthetic agents remain within our community and three articles may well have reopened rather than shut down this debate [4][5][6].…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Driving down the carbon cost of peri‐operative care: old controversies, new topics, fresh perspectives and the future

Charlesworth,

Laycock

2024

Anaesthesia

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The effects of desflurane withdrawal from the hospital: a call for a national ban of desflurane

Bracco,

Bozzer

2024

Can J Anesth/J Can Anesth

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The environmental impacts of anesthesia

Grunert,

Hunt,

Decker

2024

Current Opinion in Urology

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Purpose of review The healthcare sector has a substantial environmental footprint, and the delivery of anesthesia contributes significantly. Inhaled anesthetics themselves are potent greenhouse gases, unused intravenous medication exert toxic effects on the environment, and the increasing reliance on single-use devices has led to an ever-growing amount of solid waste produced in operating rooms. This review discusses many of these environmental impacts and suggests practices to mitigate the environmental footprint of anesthetic practice. Recent findings The choice of anesthesia maintenance has significant environmental implications, with nitrous oxide and desflurane having the highest carbon footprint of all anesthetic agents. Using low fresh gas flows and supplementing or replacing inhalational agents with propofol leads to a significant reduction in emissions. Many intravenous anesthetic agents pose a risk of environmental toxicity, and efforts should be made to decrease medication waste and ensure appropriate disposal of unused medications to minimize their environmental impacts. Additionally, consideration should be given to replacing single-use devices in the operating rooms with reusable alternatives that are often both environmentally and economically superior. And solid waste generated in the operating room should be segregated thoughtfully, as processing regulated medical waste is a highly energy-intensive process. Summary Significant opportunities exist to improve the environmental footprint of anesthesia practice, and with the rapidly worsening climate crisis, the importance of implementing changes is greater than ever.

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Desflurane decommissioning: more than meets the eye

Cited by 3 publications

References 27 publications

Driving down the carbon cost of peri‐operative care: old controversies, new topics, fresh perspectives and the future

Driving down the carbon cost of peri‐operative care: old controversies, new topics, fresh perspectives and the future

The effects of desflurane withdrawal from the hospital: a call for a national ban of desflurane

The environmental impacts of anesthesia

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