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Empowering Surgeons, Anesthesiologists, and Obstetricians to Incorporate Environmental Sustainability in the Operating Room

Yates, Elizabeth F. ; Bowder, Alexis N. ; Roa, Lina ; Velin, Lotta ; Goodman, Andrea S. ; Nguyen, Louis L. ; McClain, Craig D. ; Meara, John G. and Cooper, Zara (2021) In Annals of Surgery 273(6). p.1108-1114
Abstract

OBJECTIVE: We review the existing research on environmentally sustainable surgical practices to enable SAO to advocate for improved environmental sustainability in operating rooms across the country. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Climate change refers to the impact of greenhouse gases emitted as a byproduct of human activities, trapped within our atmosphere and resulting in hotter and more variable climate patterns.1 As of 2013, the US healthcare industry was responsible for 9.8% of the country's emissions2; if it were itself a nation, US healthcare would rank 13th globally in emissions.3 As one of the most energy-intensive and wasteful areas of the hospital, ORs drive this trend. ORs are 3 to 6 times more energy intensive than clinical... (More)

OBJECTIVE: We review the existing research on environmentally sustainable surgical practices to enable SAO to advocate for improved environmental sustainability in operating rooms across the country. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Climate change refers to the impact of greenhouse gases emitted as a byproduct of human activities, trapped within our atmosphere and resulting in hotter and more variable climate patterns.1 As of 2013, the US healthcare industry was responsible for 9.8% of the country's emissions2; if it were itself a nation, US healthcare would rank 13th globally in emissions.3 As one of the most energy-intensive and wasteful areas of the hospital, ORs drive this trend. ORs are 3 to 6 times more energy intensive than clinical wards.4 Further, ORs and labor/delivery suites produce 50%-70% of waste across the hospital.5,6 Due to the adverse health impacts of climate change, the Lancet Climate Change Commission (2009) declared climate change "the biggest global health threat of the 21st century" and predicted it would exacerbate existing health disparities for minority groups, children and low socioeconomic patients.7. METHODS/RESULTS: We provide a comprehensive narrative review of published efforts to improve environmental sustainability in the OR while simultaneously achieving cost-savings, and highlight resources for clinicians interested in pursuing this work. CONCLUSION: Climate change adversely impacts patient health, and disproportionately impacts the most vulnerable patients. SAO contribute to the problem through their resource-intensive work in the OR and are uniquely positioned to lead efforts to improve the environmental sustainability of the OR.

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author
; ; ; ; ; ; ; and
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Annals of Surgery
volume
273
issue
6
pages
7 pages
publisher
Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
external identifiers
  • scopus:85106542644
  • pmid:33630452
ISSN
1528-1140
DOI
10.1097/SLA.0000000000004755
language
English
LU publication?
no
id
8ff7c733-28a0-49bf-82c7-fe7222fd16e6
date added to LUP
2021-06-10 14:41:24
date last changed
2024-04-20 07:18:44
@article{8ff7c733-28a0-49bf-82c7-fe7222fd16e6,
  abstract     = {{<p>OBJECTIVE: We review the existing research on environmentally sustainable surgical practices to enable SAO to advocate for improved environmental sustainability in operating rooms across the country. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Climate change refers to the impact of greenhouse gases emitted as a byproduct of human activities, trapped within our atmosphere and resulting in hotter and more variable climate patterns.1 As of 2013, the US healthcare industry was responsible for 9.8% of the country's emissions2; if it were itself a nation, US healthcare would rank 13th globally in emissions.3 As one of the most energy-intensive and wasteful areas of the hospital, ORs drive this trend. ORs are 3 to 6 times more energy intensive than clinical wards.4 Further, ORs and labor/delivery suites produce 50%-70% of waste across the hospital.5,6 Due to the adverse health impacts of climate change, the Lancet Climate Change Commission (2009) declared climate change "the biggest global health threat of the 21st century" and predicted it would exacerbate existing health disparities for minority groups, children and low socioeconomic patients.7. METHODS/RESULTS: We provide a comprehensive narrative review of published efforts to improve environmental sustainability in the OR while simultaneously achieving cost-savings, and highlight resources for clinicians interested in pursuing this work. CONCLUSION: Climate change adversely impacts patient health, and disproportionately impacts the most vulnerable patients. SAO contribute to the problem through their resource-intensive work in the OR and are uniquely positioned to lead efforts to improve the environmental sustainability of the OR.</p>}},
  author       = {{Yates, Elizabeth F. and Bowder, Alexis N. and Roa, Lina and Velin, Lotta and Goodman, Andrea S. and Nguyen, Louis L. and McClain, Craig D. and Meara, John G. and Cooper, Zara}},
  issn         = {{1528-1140}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{06}},
  number       = {{6}},
  pages        = {{1108--1114}},
  publisher    = {{Lippincott Williams & Wilkins}},
  series       = {{Annals of Surgery}},
  title        = {{Empowering Surgeons, Anesthesiologists, and Obstetricians to Incorporate Environmental Sustainability in the Operating Room}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/SLA.0000000000004755}},
  doi          = {{10.1097/SLA.0000000000004755}},
  volume       = {{273}},
  year         = {{2021}},
}