OhioHealth announced today that it is the first health system in central Ohio to eliminate desflurane, an inhaled anesthetic gas that is among the most harmful to the environment, and instead use sevoflurane. Desflurane is an anesthetic gas used during surgery to keep patients conscious or in pain. When patients are given these gases during surgery, most of the gas is exhaled and released into the atmosphere.
“Desflurane is the inhaled anesthetic that is the most potent greenhouse gas with the greatest greenhouse effect. As climate change contributes directly to humanitarian emergencies, reducing greenhouse gases can bring enormous benefits to the health of our population,” Arvind MalikMD, an anesthesiologist at OhioHealth Grant Medical Center, said.
Once released into the environment, desflurane stays in the atmosphere for 14 years and studies have shown it to have a global warming impact 2,500 times greater than carbon dioxide. OhioHealth had used desflurane in about 40% of surgical procedures before the sustainability work.
By switching from desflurane to sevoflurane, OhioHealth moves closer to its net-zero goal by 2050 Climate commitment and its goal to provide environmentally sustainable health care by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and adapting practices at major medical centers and other health systems in the United States and Europe. OhioHealth is committed to caring for patients inside and outside its hospital walls.
“Anesthesia providers from across the health system are working with OhioHealth’s pharmacy, internal audit, Supply chain servicesclinical engineering and environmental sustainability teams played a key role in the five-year desflurane phase-out project,” said Adam Trimble, PharmD, BCPS, OhioHealth drug deployment coordinator.
OhioHealth’s decision to phase out desflurane has already resulted in a 90 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from anesthetics—equivalent to driving an average gasoline car more than 3.4 million kilometers per year.
“Protecting the environment ultimately impacts our patients and their health,” Shawn CuevasDO, an OhioHealth board-certified anesthesiologist, said, “So if there are equivalent alternatives with less environmental impact, it is our responsibility to consider them.”
OhioHealth anesthesiologists added that the health system continues to have access to a wide range of medications to ensure optimal patient care.
“Our mission at OhioHealth is to improve the health of the people we care for,” Trimble said. “Climate change is one of the biggest health issues we face today. It contributes to rising temperatures and poor air quality, which can negatively impact the health of our communities. Decisions like this demonstrate our commitment to providing higher levels of care for the patients in our community.”
