NYC Health + Hospitals has reduced carbon dioxide equivalent emissions in its anesthesia practices systemwide by 52% since 2022.
The system reached the milestone by deactivating the use of central piped nitrous oxide, according to an April 16 press release.
NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue, Elmhurst, Jacobi and North Central Bronx have all fully deactivated the use of central piped nitrous oxide in their anesthesia practices.
The reduction totals over 5,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide, or the equivalent of taking approximately 1,100 gas-powered cars off the roads.
The system’s next goal is to reduce all carbon dioxide equivalent by 50% by 2030. Nitrous oxide is a greenhouse gas that is 300 times more potent than carbon dioxide and can persist in the atmosphere for over 100 years.
Anesthetic gases, including desflurane, isoflurane, and sevoflurane, account for approximately half of operating room emissions and 5% of total hospital facility emissions, according to the release.
In 2022, the system began monitoring fresh gas flow at one of its locations to implement best practices for reduction.
Now, NYC Health + Hospitals trains anesthesiologists to use portable nitrous oxide tanks, IV and regional anesthesia, and to avoid nitrous oxide and desflurane.
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