Abstract

The environmental impact of anesthetics is a growing consideration in operating rooms (ORs) worldwide. In the United States, healthcare is responsible for an estimated 10% of greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) with a considerable portion of these originating in perioperative services. Anesthetic gases contribute to GHG emissions with varying degrees of severity. In the case study examined, a 58-year-old female presented for bilateral mastectomy, axillary node dissection, and breast reconstruction. Total time under anesthesia - maintained with fresh gas flows (FGF) of 2 L/min and end-tidal sevoflurane of 1.8-2.2% - was 7 hours. There are currently no universal guidelines to monitor or regulate the amount of anesthetic gas released from hospitals into the atmosphere. In surgical patients, what techniques can be used to minimize the environmental impact of anesthesia?

Author Details

Ann Marie Gieger, BSN

Sigma Membership

Non-member

Lead Author Affiliation

Samford University, Birmingham, Alabama, USA

Type

DNP Capstone Project

Format Type

Text-based Document

Study Design/Type

Literature Review

Research Approach

N/A

Keywords:

Anesthesia, Volatile Anesthetics, Carbon Footprint, Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Environmental Impact

Advisor

Cahoon, Terri

Degree

DNP

Degree Grantor

Samford University

Degree Year

2023

Rights Holder

All rights reserved by the author(s) and/or publisher(s) listed in this item record unless relinquished in whole or part by a rights notation or a Creative Commons License present in this item record.

All permission requests should be directed accordingly and not to the Sigma Repository.

All submitting authors or publishers have affirmed that when using material in their work where they do not own copyright, they have obtained permission of the copyright holder prior to submission and the rights holder has been acknowledged as necessary.

Review Type

None: Degree-based Submission

Acquisition

Self-submission

Date of Issue

2023-02-14

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