There are always things I don't know about greenhouse gases, even when I think I know a thing or two.
Today I learned that a common gas used by anesthesiologists is a potent greenhouse gas, and that only 5 percent of inhaled gas is metabolized by the patient. The unmetabolized gas, in this case, desflurane, is vented out of the operating room into the atmosphere, where it traps heat and remains in the atmosphere for 14 years. Another gas commonly in use, called sevoflurane, is equally as effective as an anesthetic while trapping only one-twentieth of the heat and breaking down within a year.
It seems like a no-brainer to use sevoflurane, right? And that's just what anesthesiologist Dr. Brian Chesebro of Portland, Oregon, has been leading the way on. To put it in perspective,
desflurane was the greenhouse gas equivalent of driving a fleet of 12 humvees for the duration of each surgical procedure. It's "only" half a hummer if [one] uses sevoflurane...And — get this — sevoflurane is cheaper, too.
Which makes me wonder, why is the bad gas still on the market at all? Who needs it? According to the linked article, both of the gases are made by the same manufacturer, so it's not a case of embedded interests wanting to sell their bad product: if they stop selling desflurane, hospitals will just buy more of the other one, right?
Either way, thanks to Dr. Chesebro for figuring this out and leading the way.
No comments:
Post a Comment