Every anaesthetist-intensivist must not forget to be, with the support of scientific societies, a protagonist and promoter of sustainable practices in the operating theatre and intensive care unit.

Every anaesthetist-intensivist must not forget to be, with the support of scientific societies, a protagonist and promoter of sustainable practices in the operating theatre and intensive care unit.

Type of practice

Other practices (health education)

Age

Topic Area

Anesthesia, Analgesia, Resuscitation and Intensive Care

Scientific societies play a key role in reducing the environmental impact of current clinical practices. Through courses, seminars and workshops, they educate anaesthetists, surgeons and other healthcare professionals on the importance of adopting sustainable techniques and behaviours, such as choosing environmentally friendly anaesthetic gases, managing gas disposal and reuse, selecting sustainable anaesthetic techniques and materials, and responsible waste management. Scientific societies also promote certification and continuing education programmes, accredit facilities that implement eco-friendly practices, and develop and disseminate guidelines and recommendations to optimise resource use and support research into more sustainable technologies. At the same time, anaesthesiologists-intensivists, through their daily choices, can make a significant contribution to the adoption of more sustainable practices by turning knowledge into concrete actions.

Sources

1. Pichler PP, Jaccard IS, Weisz U et al. International comparison of health care carbon footprints Environ. Res. Lett. 2019; 14: 064004. DOI 10.1088/1748-9326/ab19e1
2. Or Z, Seppänen AV. The role of the health sector in tackling climate change: A narrative review. Health Policy. 2024;143:105053. doi: 10.1016/j.healthpol.2024.105053.
3. Manuale per ridurre l’impronta climatica dei servizi sanitari. Bergamo, 16 novembre 2024. https://choosingwiselyitaly.org/manuale-per-ridurre-limpronta-carbonica-dei-servizi-sanitari/ (last accessed March 2025).
4. Mishra LD, Agarwal A, Singh AK et al . Paving the way to environment-friendly greener anesthesia. J Anaesthesiol Clin Pharmacol. 2024;40:9-14. doi: 10.4103/joacp.joacp_283_22.
5. Schwiethal A,Treskatsch S, Michael J. et al. The Power of Education to Reduce the Carbon Footprint of Volatile Anesthetics in Clinical Practice. Anesthesia & Analgesia ():10.1213/ANE.0000000000007375, February 25, 2025. doi: 10.1213/ANE.0000000000007375

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Attention. Please note that these items are provided only for information and are not intended as a substitute for consultation with a clinician. Patients with any specific questions about the items on this list or their individual situation should consult their clinician.