Should pipeline nitrous oxide be discontinued in secondary care: A cost-benefit analysis

Nitrous oxide (N O) has seen a marked decline in its usage in recent years due to its adverse clinical effects. We audited the practice in our department to evaluate the N O consumption and cost-effectiveness of its supply. Electronic anesthesia records of all patients anesthetized in our main opera...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inSaudi journal of anaesthesia Vol. 18; no. 2; pp. 194 - 196
Main Authors Majeed, Amer, Awan, Amreen M
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published India Medknow Publications and Media Pvt. Ltd 01.04.2024
Medknow Publications & Media Pvt. Ltd
Wolters Kluwer - Medknow
Subjects
Anesthetics
Cost benefit analysis
Economic aspects
Nitrous oxide
Original
Pipe lines
hazardous waste
nitrous oxide
Greenhouse gases
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Summary:Nitrous oxide (N O) has seen a marked decline in its usage in recent years due to its adverse clinical effects. We audited the practice in our department to evaluate the N O consumption and cost-effectiveness of its supply. Electronic anesthesia records of all patients anesthetized in our main operating rooms in a typical month were reviewed retrospectively, and utilization of N O was noted in addition to the patient demographics, surgical procedure, and specialty. A total of 950 patients were anesthetized, and 3.1% received N O. The annual usage was estimated to be 72,871 liters, with a leakage of 3,883,105 liters to the environment, posing a safety hazard and wasting 149,612.50 SAR. Notable costs and environmental benefits may be achieved by substituting a piped supply of N O with portable E-cylinders on demand in operating rooms for rational use.
Bibliography:ObjectType-Article-1
SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1
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content type line 23
ISSN:1658-354X
0975-3125
DOI:10.4103/sja.sja_791_23