Reducing/Eliminating Desflurane
You may be surprised to learn that using desflurane for one hour has the same carbon footprint as driving a car for 320km compared to only 6.5km for sevoflurane. Eliminating the use of desflurane is one of the most impactful changes we can make to green our profession.
Ontario’s Anesthesiologists, along with the American Society of Anesthesiologists and the World Federation of Societies of Anaesthesiologists, have all supported the restriction of high global warming potential anesthetics like desflurane through published statements. The European Union has planned a ban of desflurane by 2026.
Here in Ontario, the following health facilities have already removed desflurane from their ORs:
Brockville General Hospital
Collingwood General and Marine Hospital
Grand River Hospital
Grey Bruce Health Services
Groves Memorial Community Hospital
Huntsville District Memorial Hospital
Kingston Health Sciences Centre
Lennox & Addington County General Hospital
Michael Garron Hospital (Toronto East Health Network)
North York General Hospital
Orillia Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital
Perth Smith Falls District Hospital
Quinte Health
Scarborough Health Network
Sinai Health
Southlake Regional Health Centre
St. Joseph’s Health Centre, Toronto
St. Mary’s General Hospital
St. Mike’s Hospital
Sudbury Health Sciences North
Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids)
Timmins and District Hospital
Trillium Health Partners
Unity Health Toronto
University Health Network
West Parry Sound Health Centre
Women’s College Hospital
If your hospital/department is interested in reducing your costs and environmental impact by eliminating desflurane, Ontario’s Anesthesiologists’ Environmental Sustainability Working Group is ready to help. We can provide resources, presentations and personal support from one of our members to help in your hospital’s/department’s greening efforts. Contact us today!
Resources
Major B.C. trauma hospital switches anesthetic gas to reduce carbon footprint | CBC News
How some doctors want to cut greenhouse gas emissions in the operating room | CBC News
Contributed by Dr. Sanjiv Mathur, Dr. Peter Menikefs and Dr. Anita Rao