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  • 'Green-gional' anesthesia: the non-polluting benefits of regional anesthesia to decrease greenhouse gases and attenuate climate change

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Daring discourse
'Green-gional' anesthesia: the non-polluting benefits of regional anesthesia to decrease greenhouse gases and attenuate climate change
  1. Mausam Kuvadia1,2,
  2. Cynthia Eden Cummis3,
  3. Gregory Liguori1 and
  4. Christopher L Wu1
  1. 1 Anesthesiology, Hospital for Special Surgery, New York, New York, USA
  2. 2 Anesthesiology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York, USA
  3. 3 World Resources Institute, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
  1. Correspondence to Dr Christopher L Wu, Anesthesiology, Hospital for Special Surgery, New York, NY 10021, USA; wuch{at}hss.edu

Abstract

Volatile halogenated gases and nitrous oxide used as part of a balanced general anesthetic may contribute to global warming. By avoiding volatile inhalational agent use, regional anesthesia may reduce greenhouse gas emissions and help prevent global warming. We present a theoretical calculation of the potential benefits and a real-life example of how much regional anesthesia may reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

  • regional anesthesia
  • technology
  • outcomes

https://doi.org/10.1136/rapm-2020-101452

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    Footnotes

    • Twitter @ChrisWuMD

    • Contributors All authors listed have contributed to the concept, design, and writing of this manuscript. All authors have reviewed and approve of the manuscript submitted.

    • Funding The authors have not declared a specific grant for this research from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.

    • Competing interests None declared.

    • Patient consent for publication Not required.

    • Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.