SHEBA :: Operating Theatres :: Global warming potential of inhaled anesthetics: application to clinical use

Global warming potential of inhaled anesthetics: application to clinical use

Primary Topic: Operating Theatres
Secondary Topics: Energy and Carbon
Tags: Volatiles, anaesthesia
Format: Web page
Document Type: Report
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Description: Ryan SM, Nielsen CJ. Anesth Analg. 2010 Jul;111(1):92-8. Epub 2010 Jun 2 Under comparable and common clinical conditions, desflurane has a greater potential impact on global warming than either isoflurane or sevoflurane. N2O alone produces a sizable greenhouse gas contribution relative to sevoflurane or isoflurane. Additionally, 60% N2O combined with potent inhaled anesthetics to deliver 1 MAC of anesthetic substantially increases the environmental impact of sevoflurane and isoflurane, and decreases that of desflurane. N2O is destructive to the ozone layer as well as possessing GWP; it continues to have impact over a longer timeframe, and may not be an environmentally sound tradeoff for desflurane. From our calculations, avoiding N2O and unnecessarily high fresh gas flow rates can reduce the environmental impact of inhaled anesthetics.
URL: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20519425

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