OhioHealth Phases in New Anesthesia Gas That’s Better for the Environment (original) (raw)

OhioHealth announced today it is the first health system in central Ohio to eliminate desflurane, an inhaled anesthetic gas that is among the worst for the environment, opting instead for sevoflurane. Desflurane is an anesthetic gas that is used during surgery to keep patients from being aware or feeling pain. When these gases are given to patients during surgeries, the majority of gas is exhaled and released into the atmosphere.

“Desflurane is the inhaled anesthetic that is the most potent greenhouse gas with the most global warming potential. As climate change directly contributes to humanitarian emergencies, reducing greenhouse gases can result in tremendous benefit to our population’s health,” Arvind Malik, MD, OhioHealth Grant Medical Center anesthesiologist, said.

Once desflurane is released in the environment, it remains in the atmosphere for 14 years and has a global warming impact 2,500 times greater than carbon dioxide, studies show. OhioHealth had been using desflurane in approximately 40% of surgery cases prior to sustainability work.

Switching from desflurane to sevoflurane advances OhioHealth toward its Net Zero by 2050 climate commitment and its goal of providing environmentally sustainable healthcare by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and aligning with practices at major medical centers and other health systems throughout the United States and Europe. OhioHealth is committed to caring for patients inside and outside its hospital walls.

“Anesthesia providers from across the health system, working with OhioHealth’s pharmacy, internal audit, supply chain services, clinical engineering, and environmental sustainability teams, played a key role in the five-year project to transition away from desflurane,” said Adam Trimble, PharmD, BCPS, OhioHealth medication use coordinator.

Already, OhioHealth’s elimination of desflurane has resulted in a 90% reduction in anesthetic gas-related greenhouse gas emissions -- the equivalent of driving an average gas-powered car more than 2.1 million miles each year.

“Protecting the environment ultimately impacts our patients and their health,” Shawn Cuevas, DO, OhioHealth board-certified anesthesiologist said, “so when equivalent alternatives with a lower environmental impact exists, it is our responsibility to consider them.”

OhioHealth anesthesiology providers added that the health system continues to have access to a wide range of medications to ensure optimal patient care.

“At OhioHealth, our mission is to improve the health of those we serve,” Trimble said, “Climate change is one of the biggest public health issues we are faced with today. It contributes to rising temperatures and poor air quality, which can negatively impact the health of our communities. Decisions such as this demonstrate our commitment to caring for the patients in our community at a higher level.”