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

  • 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. 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

Ontario’s Anesthesiologists’ Position Statement on Reporting Anesthetic Gases in the Ontario Hospitals Greenhouse Gas Inventory

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