Different anesthesia approaches had similar carbon footprints for TKR
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts
General, spinal and combination anesthesia approaches had similar carbon footprints among patients undergoing knee replacement, according to published results.
Researchers examined the carbon dioxide-equivalent emissions associated with general anesthesia, spinal anesthesia, and combined general and spinal anesthesia among 29 patients undergoing TKR. Researchers collected input data for anesthetic times, gases and drugs, and electricity for patients’ warming and anesthetic machines. Researchers reported sevoflurane or propofol were used for general anesthesia. To convert inputs to the carbon footprint in kilogram carbon dioxide-equivalent emissions, researchers used a life cycle assessment software with modeled international comparisons.
Results showed general anesthesia, spinal anesthesia and combined anesthesia had 14.9 kg, 16.9 kg and 18.5 kg carbon dioxide-equivalent emissions, respectively. Across all approaches, researchers found electricity for the patient air warmer had at least 2.46 kg carbon dioxide-equivalent emissions, while single-use items had carbon dioxide-equivalent emissions of 3.6 kg for general anesthesia, 3.4 kg for spinal anesthesia and 4.3 kg for combined anesthesia.
Sevoflurane contributed an average 4.7 kg and 3.1 kg carbon dioxide equivalent for the general anesthesia and combined groups, respectively, according to results. Researchers noted washing and sterilizing reusable items had carbon dioxide-equivalent emissions of 4.5 kg for spinal anesthesia and 4.1 kg for combined anesthesia. Researchers also found oxygen had carbon dioxide-equivalent emissions of 2.8 kg for spinal anesthesia. Intercountry carbon dioxide-equivalent emission variability was less than intragroup variability, according to modeling.
“Our study quantifies carbon dioxide-equivalent emissions of individual areas of anesthesia practice. We encourage cognizance of one’s carbon footprint, emphasizing that instigating multiple, seemingly small changes in our workplace patterns is the best path to low carbon anesthesia,” the authors wrote.
Collapse
Read more about
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts