Carbon Footprint of Anesthesia: Reply – Forbes McGain et al.
We encourage others to clarify such practice variations and begin the journey to safely reducing anesthesia’s environmental footprint.
Environmental impact of eliminating routine supplemental oxygen for Caesarean delivery: a breath of fresh air – Richard Segelnieks et al.
It is important for the medical profession to review legacy practices and reconsider interventions with no or low benefit to patients.
Environmental impact of eliminating routine supplemental oxygen for Caesarean delivery: a breath of fresh air – Richard Seglenieks et al.
Small changes in practice, when implemented throughout healthcare systems around the world, can have sizable positive impacts on the environment and on healthcare costs. It is important for the medical profession to review legacy practices and reconsider interventions with no or low benefit to patients.
The Recovery-a podcast about action for sustainable healthcare – Minna Johansson et al.
The way we currently practice medicine is unsustainable for patients, healthcare systems, societies, and the planet. It is estimated that a fifth of what we do in healthcare is not needed. All those unnecessary tests, treatments, and diagnoses bring direct harm to people through adverse [...]
Carbon emissions and hospital pathology stewardship: a retrospective cohort analysis – Scott McAlister et al.
As healthcare is responsible for 7% of Australia's carbon emissions, it was recognised that a policy implemented at St George Hospital, Sydney to reduce non-urgent pathology testing to two days per week and on other days only if essential, would also result in a reduction [...]
Discrepancy between procurement and clinical use of nitrous oxide: waste not, want not – Richard Seglenieks et al.
Nitrous oxide (N2O) is commonly used in some parts of the world for inhalation induction of anaesthesia, labour analgesia, and as an anaesthetic adjuvant. In recent years, there has been a reappraisal of anaesthetic N2O use, partly because of awareness of its environmental impact, coupled [...]
Carbon Footprint of General, Regional, and Combined Anesthesia for Total Knee Replacements – Forbes McGain
Health care itself contributes to climate change. Anesthesia is a “carbon hotspot,” yet few data exist to compare anesthetic choices. The authors examined the carbon dioxide equivalent emissions associated with general anesthesia, spinal anesthesia, and combined (general and spinal anesthesia) during a total knee replacement.
High value health care is low carbon health care – Alex Barratt et al.
We are in a health emergency precipitated by climate change. As well as physical health threats, climate change and its effects are adversely affecting Australians’ mental health, and worsening the health inequities suffered by vulnerable populations. In response, the Australian health care community must both adapt [...]
Overdiagnosis is increasing the carbon footprint of healthcare – Alex Barratt & Forbes McGain
The rise and rise of overdiagnosis—and its corollaries, over-testing and overtreatment—has unfolded synchronously with the health emergency caused by climate change. Climate change will drive ever more people to seek medical care for exposure to extreme heat, drought, floods, fire and extreme weather, vector borne [...]
Overdiagnosis is increasing the carbon footprint of healthcare – Alex Barratt & Forbes McGain
Clinical practice varies—some is excellent, delivering high quality care, improving health outcomes, and representing excellent value for money. But research over the past two decades has established that a significant minority of clinical care is low value, wasteful, or harmful. At the extreme end of [...]