Restrict anesthesia to save climate – Harvard Med to ‘Integrate Climate’ Into M.D. Curriculum & American Cancer Society Frets ‘carbon footprint of cancer care’
The Great Medical Reset: Your Doctor will treat the climate first -- not your well-being -- and you will be happy.
By: Marc Morano - Climate DepotFebruary 6, 2023 8:41 AM
The latest from the Wacky World of Climate:
1) Doc presents new study suggesting ‘lowering the flow of anesthetic gas’ in patients to save the planet – 1 hour of surgical anesthesia equivalent to driving as many as 470 miles – Anesthesia the next target in climate battle: Docs suggest reducing anesthesia: Would you suffer to combat climate change?
NY Post: Dr. Mohamed Fayed, a senior anesthetist at Detroit’s Henry Ford Health, made the suggestion during the American Society of Anesthesiologists’ annual conference last Friday in Orlando, Florida. “Global warming is affecting our daily life more and more, and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions has become crucial,” he said. Dr. Fayed added, “No matter how small each effect is, it will add up. As anesthesiologists, we can contribute significantly to this cause by making little changes in our daily practice — such as lowering the flow of anesthetic gas — without affecting patient care.”
Study press release: “Anesthesiologists can play a role in reducing the greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to global warming by decreasing the amount of anesthetic gas provided during procedures without compromising patient care, suggests new research being presented at the American Society of Anesthesiologists’ ADVANCE 2023, the Anesthesiology Business Event.” [Climate Depot Note: The American Society of Anesthesiologists’ website appears to have pulled the article. But it is available here. & here. ]
Research notes that inhaled anesthesia accounts for up to 0.1% of the world’s carbon emissions, which are regarded as the primary driver of global climate change. An hour of surgery using an inhaled anesthetic is equivalent to driving as many as 470 miles, according to a 2010 study.
https://www.climatedepot.com/2023/02/06/limit-anesthesia-to-save-climate-harvard-med-to-integrate-climate-into-m-d-curriculum-american-cancer-society-frets-carbon-footprint-of-cancer-care/
