Sticking it to Emissions

University of Utah Health has committed to achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2040 and is tackling sustainability in a number of ways, from locally sourced food procurement, to switching out energy-draining lightbulbs for efficient LEDs (resulting in an estimated $1.2 million in savings), to utilizing software to streamline food orders and minimize waste. But a hospital setting is a different beast, with unique sustainability issues to consider.

“In a hospital, where the lights are continuously on and the heat is always running, the concept [of sustainability] assumes a different dimension,” says Alexis Lee, director of environmental and social sustainability at University of Utah Health.

One of those areas is inhaled anesthetics, a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. So U of U Health has implemented a thoughtful approach, including stickers on the anesthesia machines to provide a reminder to use more environmentally CHARLIE EHLERT friendly volatile anesthetic gas options when appropriate. These stickers also display the equivalent miles of driving for each gas per hour of use and feature a QR code that directs anesthesiologists to a website offering suggestions on eco-conscious anesthetic choices, including eliminating desflurane (which equates to 235–470 miles of driving per hour of use), using low f low (<2 L/min) during maintenance, and using total intravenous anesthesia to eliminate volatile anesthetic emissions whenever possible.

The stickers have been in place since 2021 and have already shown results:

• Reduction in desflurane—the most environmentally harmful volatile gas—purchases from 528 bottles in 2020 to six bottles in 2023.

• A 66% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from volatile anesthetic gases (desflurane, isoflurane, and sevoflurane) from 625 metric tons of CO2e to 210 metric tons CO2e—equal to the amount of energy to power 52 homes for a year. 

Check out OR sustainability tips for anesthesiologists.