A NEW scheme in a Glasgow hospital is aiming to cut the carbon footprints of patients being put to sleep for procedures.
It might not be the first thing on a patient's mind as they count backwards from 100, but a bottle of anaesthetic gas desflurane, in liquid form, contains the carbon dioxide equivalent to a year’s eight mile commute in a car.
Clinicians across NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde have worked to minimise the use of the gas, reducing its impact on the environment and saving money in the process.
Dr Geraldine Gallagher, an anaesthetist based at Glasgow Royal Infirmary, has been leading the effort to reduce use of the gas.
She said: “It became apparent some years ago that the effect these agents have on the environment is not equal, and that one of the gases in common use, desflurane, has a significantly worse impact in terms of how long it stays in the atmosphere, and how it contributes to the greenhouse gas effect.
“Since then we’ve been working hard to reduce the use of this gas, using alternatives which are just as effective for patients, but altogether better for our environment.”
Geraldine said there is no risk to patients and those coming in to hospital for operations or other procedures should not worry about a negative impact on them.
She added: “You will still fall fast asleep – we have a range of different anaesthesia treatments which are just as effective, it’s just that they’re not as damaging to the environment.”
The Glasgow doctor helped set up a project to persuade colleagues to limit their use of desflurane by making sure the desflurane cartridge had to be actively placed in the anaesthetic machine.
She added: “We began by explaining the issues to our colleagues and getting them on board – and I’m pleased to say that it’s been a great success, with far less use of the damaging gas across our hospital sites.”
Such has been the success of the project, that in some months the department at GRI hasn’t needed to order any of the damaging desflurane at all.
And the work will now be highlighted as part of a submission from the Scottish Environmental Anaesthesia Group at COP26 next month.
Geraldine added: “We’ve done the maths and we’ve worked out that in just three months, the CO2 saving is equivalent to the entire department’s annual commute put together.
“We’re now spreading the word with colleagues in other hospitals and health board areas – if we all move to discontinue the use of desflurane, it could add up to a lot of savings for the environment.”
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