Strasbourg hospital reduces carbon footprint from anesthesia gases
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At the New Civil Hospital of Strasbourg in France, medical staff switched from using nitrous oxide and desflurane to sevoflurane as anesthetic gases.
Mireille Geist-Cholet, a 53-year-old nurse anesthetist, explained the hospital stopped using nitrous oxide in 2018. Juliette Marcantoni, a 47-year-old anesthesiologist, stated replacing the most polluting gases was the first step the reanimation service took to limit its environmental impact. The hospital estimates this change saved around 6,171 tons of CO2 equivalent since 2018.
In 2023, they also phased out desflurane in favor of sevoflurane, which is projected to save 69 tons of CO2 equivalent annually. Hospital operating rooms create a major part of a healthcare facility’s environmental impact, accounting for 20 to 30% of its waste. Anesthetic gases alone cause 2% of the healthcare system’s greenhouse gas emissions and 50% of emissions during surgery, largely from leaks.
