Carbon footprint and sustainable development in anesthesia: a narrative review

Global climate change poses a significant threat to human health. While healthcare services can offer protection, they also contribute to this threat through indirect environmental impacts. Projections indicate that greenhouse gas emissions from medical services will continue to rise in the foreseeable future. Within the healthcare sector, anesthesia represents a substantial contributor to the overall carbon footprint. Given the persistent increase in the volume of anesthesia cases, anesthesiologists have a pivotal role in promoting sustainable anesthesia and enhancing environmental sustainability in healthcare. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) serves as an analytical tool that quantifies the environmental impact of products, processes, and activities throughout their life cycles. Its application is gradually gaining acceptance in the medical field and can assist physicians in comparing the environmental impacts of various diagnostic and treatment approaches in clinical practice. The primary objective of applying LCA to anesthesiology is to assess the carbon footprint and environmental impact of different anesthesia modalities under the guidance of anesthesia providers. This review highlights the advantages of reducing high-Global Warming Potential (GWP) inhalational anesthetics and minimizing drug waste, implementing low-flow anesthesia, carefully evaluating the benefits and drawbacks of reusable versus disposable materials, and optimizing energy consumption to mitigate the carbon footprint associated with anesthesia. Furthermore, this review examines potential sources of carbon footprint in anesthesia practices and discusses strategies to achieve net-zero emissions in anesthesia, offering a valuable reference to foster sustainable anesthesia practices.

Climate change; Life cycle assessment; Anesthesia; Carbon footprint; Waste reduction

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