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Bein T. [Sustainability-national and international initiatives in intensive care and emergency medicine]. Med Klin Intensivmed Notfmed 2024:10.1007/s00063-024-01199-9. [PMID: 39414671 DOI: 10.1007/s00063-024-01199-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2024] [Revised: 09/12/2024] [Accepted: 09/12/2024] [Indexed: 10/18/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Climate change with global warming, natural disasters, species extinction and soil erosion is doubly relevant for medicine: On the one hand, heat waves, floods and other natural disasters lead to new disease patterns to which healthcare systems must adapt. On the other hand, the global healthcare system itself contributes to these effects, as it is estimated that the CO2 footprint of all healthcare facilities accounts for around 5% of global greenhouse gas emissions. OBJECTIVES National and international initiatives to promote sustainability concepts in intensive care and emergency medicine. MATERIALS AND METHODS Research on homepages of national and international (specialist) societies dealing with intensive and emergency care medicine and corresponding PubMed search (sustainability and climate change and emergency or intensive care medicine). RESULTS Six of the 12 national specialist societies surveyed have taken initiatives on sustainability, notable among them the initiative of Arbeitsgemeinschaft der Wissenschaftlichen Medizinischen Fachgesellschaften (AWMF) for a new registration of the S1 guideline "Sustainability in intensive care and emergency medicine". On the international scene, the activities of the Australian and New Zealand Intensive Care Society (ANZICS) with numerous publications on the topic of sustainability in intensive care medicine and the practical guide "A beginners guide to sustainability in intensive care medicine" as well as the European Society of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care (ESAIC) with a consensus paper on sustainability should be highlighted. CONCLUSIONS At the national level, initiatives on sustainability (guidelines, working groups, forums) are emerging and are attracting increasing attention and activity. The umbrella organization of German Intensive Care Medicine, the Deutsche Interdisziplinäre Vereinigung für Intensiv- und Notfallmedizin (DIVI), has so far shown no (discernible) activity; there is an urgent need for action here, and health policy and the German Medical Association should also become (even) more involved in reducing the CO2 footprint in the healthcare sector. Internationally, there are a number of societies and institutions that are promoting the topic of "sustainability", although a stronger focus on the area of intensive care and emergency medicine would also be desirable here.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Bein
- Deutsche Allianz für Klimawandel und Gesundheit (KLUG), Regensburg, Deutschland.
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Malhi JK, McEvoy JW, Blumenthal RS, Jacobsen AP. Climate change and cardiovascular health: Recent updates and actions for healthcare. AMERICAN HEART JOURNAL PLUS : CARDIOLOGY RESEARCH AND PRACTICE 2024; 45:100443. [PMID: 39246679 PMCID: PMC11377132 DOI: 10.1016/j.ahjo.2024.100443] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2024] [Revised: 07/25/2024] [Accepted: 08/06/2024] [Indexed: 09/10/2024]
Abstract
Climate change is a public health crisis predominantly due to fossil fuel combustion, that challenges planetary and human health. Considerable evidence exists to demonstrate the impact climate change has on cardiovascular disease primarily through air pollution, and non-optimal temperature. Conversely, healthcare systems themselves contribute substantially to climate change. Many clinicians personally report a sense of responsibility to reduce the detrimental impact of parts of our healthcare system on the environment. Roadmaps exist to guide decarbonization and reduce pollution in the healthcare sector. The first step in minimizing the climate impact of the provision of cardiovascular care is to determine the carbon footprint of highly resource dependent sectors such as critical care cardiology as well as the cardiac catheterization and electrophysiology laboratories. This should be followed by sustainable changes to address healthcare waste and energy use. Engagement from healthcare leadership, governmental organizations and major cardiac societies will be necessary to impact meaningful change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jasmine K Malhi
- Ciccarone Center for the Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - John W McEvoy
- Ciccarone Center for the Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- University of Galway and National Institute for Prevention and Cardiovascular Health, Galway, Ireland
| | - Roger S Blumenthal
- Ciccarone Center for the Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Alan P Jacobsen
- Ciccarone Center for the Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
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Drinhaus H, Drinhaus J, Schumacher C, Schramm MJ, Wetsch WA. Electricity consumption of anesthesia workstations and potential emission savings by avoiding standby. DIE ANAESTHESIOLOGIE 2024; 73:244-250. [PMID: 38349537 PMCID: PMC11021308 DOI: 10.1007/s00101-024-01388-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2023] [Revised: 01/25/2024] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 04/17/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Anesthesiology has a relevant carbon footprint, mainly due to volatile anesthetics (scope 1 emissions). Additionally, energy used in the operating theater (scope 2 emissions) contributes to anesthesia-related greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. OBJECTIVES Optimizing the electricity use of medical devices might reduce both GHG emissions and costs might hold potential to reduce anaesthesia-related GHG-emissions and costs. We analyzed the electricity consumption of six different anesthesia workstations, calculated their GHG emissions and electricity costs and investigated the potential to reduce emissions and cost by using the devices in a more efficient way. METHODS Power consumption (active power in watt , W) was measured with the devices off, in standby mode, or fully on with the measuring instrument SecuLife ST. Devices studied were: Dräger Primus, Löwenstein Medical LeonPlus, Getinge Flow C, Getinge Flow E, GE Carestation 750 and GE Aisys. Calculations of GHG emissions were made with different emission factors, ranging from very low (0.09 kg CO2-equivalent/kWh) to very high (0.660 kg CO2-equivalent/kWh). Calculations of electricity cost were made assuming a price of 0.25 € per kWh. RESULTS Power consumption during operation varied from 58 W (GE CareStation 750) to 136 W (Dräger Primus). In standby, the devices consumed between 88% and 93% of the electricity needed during use. The annual electricity consumption to run 96 devices in a large clinical department ranges between 45 and 105 Megawatt-hours (MWh) when the devices are left in standby during off hours. If 80% of the devices are switched off during off hours, between 20 and 46 MWh can be saved per year in a single institution. At the average emission factor of our hospital, this electricity saving corresponds to a reduction of GHG emissions between 8.5 and 19.8 tons CO2-equivalent. At the assumed prices, a cost reduction between 5000 € and 11,600 € could be achieved by this intervention. CONCLUSION The power consumption varies considerably between the different types of anesthesia workstations. All devices exhibit a high electricity consumption in standby mode. Avoiding standby mode during off hours can save energy and thus GHG emissions and cost. The reductions in GHG emissions and electricity cost that can be achieved with this intervention in a large anesthesiology department are modest. Compared with GHG emissions generated by volatile anesthetics, particularly desflurane, optimization of electricity consumption of anesthesia workstations holds a much smaller potential to reduce the carbon footprint of anesthesia; however, as switching off anesthesia workstations overnight is relatively effortless, this behavioral change should be encouraged from both an ecological and economical point of view.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hendrik Drinhaus
- Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital of Cologne, Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, University of Cologne, Kerpener Str. 62, 50937, Cologne, Germany.
| | | | - Christine Schumacher
- Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital of Cologne, Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, University of Cologne, Kerpener Str. 62, 50937, Cologne, Germany
| | - Michael J Schramm
- Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital of Cologne, Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, University of Cologne, Kerpener Str. 62, 50937, Cologne, Germany
| | - Wolfgang A Wetsch
- Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital of Cologne, Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, University of Cologne, Kerpener Str. 62, 50937, Cologne, Germany
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Lehut T, Lambert C, Mortier R, Futier E, Chabanne R, Bauer U, Verdier P, Ravan R, Ocquidant P, Mourgues C, Lautrette A. Cost awareness among intensivists in their daily clinical practice: a prospective multicentre study. THE EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF HEALTH ECONOMICS : HEPAC : HEALTH ECONOMICS IN PREVENTION AND CARE 2024:10.1007/s10198-024-01686-y. [PMID: 38472725 DOI: 10.1007/s10198-024-01686-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2023] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Better cost-awareness is a prerogative in achieving the best benefit/risk/cost ratio in the care. We aimed to assess the cost-awareness of intensivists in their daily clinical practice and to identify factors associated with accurate estimate of cost (50-150% of the real cost). METHODS We performed a prospective observational study in seven French ICUs. We compared the estimate of intensivists of the daily costs of caring with the real costs on a given day. The estimates covered five categories (drugs, laboratory tests, imaging modalities, medical devices, and waste) whose sum represented the overall cost. RESULTS Of the 234 estimates made by 65 intensivists, 70 (29.9%) were accurate. The median overall cost estimate (€330 [170; 620]) was significantly higher than the real cost (€178 [124; 239], p < 0.001). This overestimation was found in four categories, in particular for waste (€40 [15; 100] vs. €1.1 [0.6; 2.3], p < 0.001). Only the laboratory tests were underestimated (€65 [30; 120] vs. €106 [79; 138], p < 0.001). Being aware of the financial impact of prescriptions was factor associated with accurate estimate (OR: 5.05, 95%CI:1.47-17.4, p = 0.01). However, feeling able to accurately perform estimation was factor negatively associated with accurate estimate (OR: 0.11, 95%CI: 0.02-0.71, p = 0.02). CONCLUSION French intensivists have a poor awareness of costs in their daily clinical practice. Raising awareness of the financial impact of prescriptions, and of the cost of laboratory tests and waste are the main areas for improvement that could help achieve the objective of the best care at the best cost.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothée Lehut
- Department of Anaesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, CHU Clermont-Ferrand, Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Céline Lambert
- Biostatistics Unit, DRCI, CHU Clermont-Ferrand, Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Romain Mortier
- Biostatistics Unit, DRCI, CHU Clermont-Ferrand, Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Emmanuel Futier
- Department of Anaesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, CHU Clermont-Ferrand, Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Russell Chabanne
- Department of Anaesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, CHU Clermont-Ferrand, Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Ulrich Bauer
- Intensive Care Unit, Cancer Center Jean Perrin, Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Philippe Verdier
- Intensive Care Unit, Centre Hospitalier de Montluçon, Montluçon, France
| | - Ramin Ravan
- Intensive Care Unit, Centre Hospitalier Jacques Lacarin, Vichy, France
| | | | - Charline Mourgues
- Biostatistics Unit, DRCI, CHU Clermont-Ferrand, Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Alexandre Lautrette
- Intensive Care Unit, Cancer Center Jean Perrin, Clermont-Ferrand, France.
- Intensive Care Medicine, CHU Clermont-Ferrand,Intensive Care Unit, Cancer Centre Jean Perrin, Clermont-Ferrand, 54 rue Montalembert BP69, Cedex 1, 63003, France.
- LMGE (Laboratoire Micro-organismes: Génome et Environnement), UMR CNRS 6023, Université Clermont Auvergne, Clermont-Ferrand, France.
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Carrandi A, Nguyen C, Tse WC, Taylor C, McGain F, Thompson K, Hensher M, McAlister S, Higgins AM. How environmental impact is considered in economic evaluations of critical care: a scoping review. Intensive Care Med 2024; 50:36-45. [PMID: 38191675 PMCID: PMC10810918 DOI: 10.1007/s00134-023-07274-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2023] [Accepted: 11/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/10/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE Health care is a major contributor to climate change, and critical care is one of the sector's highest carbon emitters. Health economic evaluations form an important component of critical care and may be useful in identifying economically efficient and environmentally sustainable strategies. The purpose of this scoping review was to synthesise available literature on whether and how environmental impact is considered in health economic evaluations of critical care. METHODS A robust scoping review methodology was used to identify studies reporting on environmental impact in health economic evaluations of critical care. We searched six academic databases to locate health economic evaluations, costing studies and life cycle assessments of critical care from 1993 to present. RESULTS Four studies met the review's inclusion criteria. Of the 278 health economic evaluations of critical care identified, none incorporated environmental impact into their assessments. Most included studies (n = 3/4) were life cycle assessments, and the remaining study was a prospective observational study. Life cycle assessments used a combination of process-based data collection and modelling to incorporate environmental impact into their economic assessments. CONCLUSIONS Health economic evaluations of critical care have not yet incorporated environmental impact into their assessments, and few life cycle assessments exist that are specific to critical care therapies and treatments. Guidelines and standardisation regarding environmental data collection and reporting in health care are needed to support further research in the field. In the meantime, those planning health economic evaluations should include a process-based life cycle assessment to establish key environmental impacts specific to critical care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alayna Carrandi
- School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, 553 St Kilda Rd, Level 3, Melbourne, VIC, 3004, Australia
| | - Christina Nguyen
- School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, 553 St Kilda Rd, Level 3, Melbourne, VIC, 3004, Australia
- School of Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Wai Chung Tse
- School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, 553 St Kilda Rd, Level 3, Melbourne, VIC, 3004, Australia
- School of Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Colman Taylor
- Faculty of Medicine, Critical Care Division, The George Institute for Global Health, University of New South Wales Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Forbes McGain
- Department of Critical Care, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Department of Anaesthesia, Western Health, Footscray, VIC, Australia
- Department of Intensive Care, Western Health, Footscray, VIC, Australia
- School of Public Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Kelly Thompson
- Faculty of Medicine, Critical Care Division, The George Institute for Global Health, University of New South Wales Sydney, Sydney, Australia
- Nepean Blue Mountains Local Health District, Penrith, NSW, Australia
| | - Martin Hensher
- Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS, Australia
| | - Scott McAlister
- School of Public Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, Centre for Health Policy, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Alisa M Higgins
- School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, 553 St Kilda Rd, Level 3, Melbourne, VIC, 3004, Australia.
- Faculty of Medicine, Critical Care Division, The George Institute for Global Health, University of New South Wales Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
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