Canadian health care providers will be urged to “nix the nitrous” in a new campaign to curb greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from leaky centralized delivery systems for the anesthetic gas. Audits in some health care facilities have discovered that as little as 5 per cent of purchased nitrous oxide (N2O) actually makes it to patients via this route, with the much greater portion escaping into the environment.
Proponents of portable tanks for dispensing N2O in the location where it’s needed emphasize that this alternative approach would reduce leakage of a gas that has a global warming potential (GWP) 273 times greater than carbon dioxide and cut losses of health care supplies, thus saving money. The United Kingdom’s Association of Anaesthetists and the American Society of Anesthesiologists’ committee on environmental health have already called for a switch away from centralized N2O delivery.
In Canada, the Canadian Coalition for Green Health Care will spearhead the campaign as part of an outreach effort tackling prominent sources of GHG emissions in health care facilities. The planned three-year program draws on funding from the Canadian government’s Implementation Readiness Fund to support adoption of low-carbon technologies, and will also raise awareness about the hydrofluorocarbon content in inhalers prescribed for respiratory treatment, while continuing efforts to reduce fossil fuel-related emissions in facilities operations.
“This is the first major initiative in which the Coalition is addressing both the clinical aspects of health care and the physical infrastructure,” reports Dr. Myles Sergeant, the organization’s executive director. “We believe this effort will help break down the silos between these areas, fostering a better understanding of how each can work to reduce GHGs and contribute to building a more sustainable health system — all while ensuring the highest quality of compassionate patient care.”
The Coalition plans to offer training, resource materials and support for on-site green teams within health care facilities. The effort is now rolling out with endorsement from a range of health care organizations, institutions and practitioners, as well as environmental advocates, community-based groups and technology providers.
