Towards sustainability of volatile anaesthetics: capture and beyond

Abstract

The first measures to reduce the environmental harm from volatile anaesthetics are implementation of minimal fresh gas flow strategies and avoidance of desflurane. Although anaesthetic waste gas capture systems generally exert high capturing efficiencies, only about half of volatile anaesthetics used in the operating room are accessible for capture. Industry-sponsored reports promise a reduction of the global warming potential by both incineration and recycling of captured volatile anaesthetics. However, independent high-quality peer-reviewed studies are needed to confirm these findings.

Keywords: anaesthesia; climate change; gas capture; global warming; green anaesthesia; sustainability; volatile anaesthetics.