Veterinary anesthesia: an opportunity to reduce the environmental footprint of clinical care.

Abstract

Volatile anesthetic agents are potent greenhouse gases with warming potential hundreds to thousands of times greater than CO2. As health systems, both human and veterinary, seek to reduce their environmental impacts, responsible anesthetic stewardship is a topic of great interest. Through an online survey, we explored the levels of awareness, beliefs, interest, needs, and current actions of veterinary anesthesia professionals around the climate impacts of anesthetic care. We found that even within a respondent group with specialized training and experience, there were significant knowledge gaps about anesthesia's environmental impacts. We also found there is much interest in learning more about climate-friendly anesthesia and broader sustainability initiatives for the veterinary profession. Fortunately, there already exist many ways for the profession to reduce our environmental impact while still providing excellent patient care. In this article, we explore 5 broad categories of action: (1) reducing the overall quantity of anesthetic agent used; (2) choosing lower-impact anesthetics; (3) considering the fate of the anesthetic end product; (4) expanding learning through formal education, experience, and research; and (5) reaching beyond anesthesia to implement a range of sustainability initiatives at veterinary workplaces. Together, we have an opportunity to create a healthier future for our world, our patients, and each other.