Environment the winner in anaesthetic gas ban at SMHS
FSFHG Theatres no longer use desflurane gas, saving carbon emissions and money
A vote by Fiona Stanley Fremantle Hospitals Group (FSFHG) anaesthetists back in 2020 to no longer use the gas desflurane, has delivered a significant win for the environment, and the departments budget.
While desflurane is a commonly-used anaesthetic agent, it is also a potent greenhouse gas.
Since the 2020 vote, the department has used up the remaining cannisters of the gas and committed to not ordering any more stock. At the time, FSFHG was one of the first in Australia to remove desflurane from theatres.
The ban has seen CO2 going into the atmosphere from desflurane drop from 34,554kg per month to zero. In addition, purchasing has gone from a peak of 39 bottles per month to zero, saving $10,000 per month for the department.
The move to ban desflurane was driven by the FSFHG Green Theatres Group and anaesthetists Dr Adam Crossley, Dr Jennifer Liddell, Dr James Anderson and Dr Archana Shrivathsa.
“The key to success was education, with most clinicians quickly getting on board once they were aware of the true environmental harm, and confident that removing desflurane would have no impact on patient safety or outcomes,” said Adam.
“We are doing many things in theatres to help the environment, such as recycling and reducing single-use plastics, but the stand-out in terms of impact has been getting rid of desflurane.”
Through the efforts of the FSFHG team and WA Green Theatres Network, the campaign to reduce or eliminate desflurane usage has spread state-wide.
“We are proud to have been at the forefront of this action on desflurane,” said Adam.
Theatres at Rockingham General Hospital have also followed suit, phasing out the use of desflurane, which means SMHS will soon be desflurane-free.
More information about the SMHS Environmental Sustainability program is available here.
