Reducing the Carbon Footprint of Anesthesia: Low-Flow Anesthesia and Other Techniques

According to a joint statement by the US National Academy of Sciences and the UK Royal Society, it is now more certain than ever that human activity is a leading cause of rapid, accelerated climate change. Our volatile anesthetics have up to 2,000 times more greenhouse gas contributing potential than the same amount of carbon dioxide, yet no emission regulations have been imposed. The carbon footprint of volatile agents exists in all anesthesia practices, indirectly affecting all humans. It manifests daily in the clinical practice of over 30,000 certified registered nurse anesthetists in the United States, as their anesthetic choices directly impact the environment. However, education about anesthetic choice and its impact has been overlooked, making many anesthesia providers unaware of meaningful ways to reduce ecological and economic costs. Decreasing the use of volatile agents by low-flow techniques and the use of a total intravenous anesthetic could dramatically reduce carbon footprint produced by anesthesia. The authors review other advantages of limiting or avoiding volatile agents beyond green anesthesia such as decreased costs, reduced postoperative nausea and vomiting, and lowering the risk of malignant hyperthermia.