Greener Anaesthesia May Benefit Patients & Planet: Study

New Delhi: A recent study from the University of Michigan, published in Lancet Planetary Health on Friday, reveals that switching to less polluting inhaled anaesthetic agents could slash harmful emissions by nearly 50% within a year—all without compromising patient safety or surgical outcomes.

Hospitals contribute a significant share of overall carbon emissions, with waste from single-use plastics, transportation, and food services compounding the problem. Notably, about 3% of these emissions are linked to the use of inhaled anaesthetic agents during procedures. Researchers believe that targeting this area represents a crucial opportunity to reduce the healthcare sector’s carbon footprint.

“Inhaled anaesthetics represent a natural area to pursue reductions in emissions because, as greenhouse gases, they are so disproportionately bad for the environment,” said Douglas Colquhoun, Assistant Professor of Anaesthesiology at Michigan Medical School. “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 involved a comprehensive analysis comparing the output of carbon dioxide equivalents—which measure the warming effect of greenhouse gases—as well as the volume of anaesthetic used during surgeries. In addition to evaluating emissions, the researchers closely monitored patient outcomes, including pain levels, instances of postoperative nausea and vomiting, as well as any signs of unintended awareness during procedures. The results were clear: adopting greener anaesthetic practices did not negatively impact the quality or safety of patient care.

In their recommendations, the researchers urged a reduction in the use of nitrous oxide—a gas estimated to be 270 times more potent than carbon dioxide in terms of its warming effect. They also encouraged the increased use of sevoflurane, recognized as the least environmentally harmful ether, instead of isoflurane. These adjustments collectively contributed to an average reduction of more than 14 kilograms of CO₂ equivalents per case.

The findings suggest that even modest shifts in anaesthetic practices can lead to substantial environmental benefits, offering a promising strategy for healthcare providers aiming to reduce their ecological footprint while maintaining high standards of patient care.