Key Sustainability Takeaways From 2023
Sustainability in the OR – eNewsletter ISSUE 7 – 2024 HOW TO BE A PART OF THE SOLUTION In the interest of doing all
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Can Anesthesiologists play an important and impactful role in decreasing greenhouse gases through their day to day practice? Absolutly. Here are simple tips and tools you can use in the operating room.
DID YOU KNOW that health care is responsible for ~10% of the world’s greenhouse gases and that anesthesia contributes significantly to this serious environmental problem?
Our IAA physicians and anesthetists are motivated to fight climate change and reduce environmentally damaging activities to the best of our abilities. You can do the same!
Stay informed. Subscribe to Dr. Fischler’s periodic sustainability e-newsletter and receive useful sustainability tips in your inbox.
At IAA, our teams throughout the state of Connecticut are continuously striving to identify and implement positive changes to our anesthesia practices and processes, changes that we know will make a difference in our efforts to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the OR and reduce overall waste in our day-to-day work. These are the areas of change and improvement to which we have committed so far.
• TIVA is used as much as possible.
• Regional is used as much as appropriate.
• SEVO is used when using a volatile agent (GHG).
• Low total fresh gas flow is the norm.
• Reduce syringe usage and have more prefilled syringe availability.
• Reformulate premade kits to eliminate unnecessary items that only add to waste (aline kits, epidural and spinal kits).
• Reduce drug waste.
• Dispose of waste in the proper waste stream.
• Open only what we plan to use.
• Streamline recycling processes where feasible.
• Contract with sustainable waste management.
• Reduce reliance on single-use products.
• Donate viable medical equipment and supplies instead of disposing of them.
At Integrated Anesthesia Associates, we strive to do our part in reigning in our carbon footprint by normalizing sustainable behaviors, including reduction of total fresh gas flows, avoidance of Desflurane and N2O, and focus on regional anesthetics and Total IntraVenous Anesthesia (TIVA). In addition, reduction of our material and pharmaceutical waste streams and proper disposal or recycling of our waste are other practice goals that we consider of the utmost importance.
Make a difference every day.
Through these sustainable practices and serving on hospital and community sustainability committees, our professionals are making a difference every day. We understand that health care is responsible for ~10% of the world’s greenhouse gases and that anesthesia contributes significantly to this serious environmental problem. Our physicians and anesthetists are motivated to fight climate change and reduce any environmentally damaging activities to the best of our abilities.
IAA clinicians understand that they can provide the same quality of patient care utilizing more sustainable anesthesia approaches and are committed to making an impact in the preservation of our planet’s environment. We invite you to join us in this quest to make a real difference. Please spread the word and subscribe to our email for tips and solutions you can implement today.
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Did you know that, as anesthesia professionals, we have the power to significantly impact our environment without compromising our quality of care? Sustainability has become
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