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Our Carbon Footprint

In this article, our educators discuss how are anaesthetic choices impact the carbon footprint we leave behind

Carbon Footprint

  • Total emission of GHG caused directly and indirectly by a person, organisation, event or product
  • Measured in terms of tonnes of CO2
  • 5% of the carbon footprint for acute organisations of the NHS is from anaesthetic gases
  • Anaesthetic ecological stewardship is important as the peri-operative period is a major contributor to carbon footprint -Procurement of pharmaceutical and medical equipment
  • The World Health Organization estimates climate-related mortality at 0.3% of all annual deaths (150,000/year)
  • Shared responsibility to enhance the sustainability of modern-day practice without compromising
    • Patient safety
    • Clinical efficacy
  • Ecological cost to society can be lowered without an increase in operational costs
  • Measuring, monitoring and reporting the carbon footprint related to anaesthesia are key in reducing emissions
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Introduction to Using Total Intravenous Anaesthesia (TIVA)

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