Denver Health is discontinuing its centralized nitrous oxide tank and delivery system to cut costs and reduce carbon emissions, CBS News reported Oct. 21.
Nitrous oxide, a common anesthetic, is among the most harmful environmentally harmful anesthetic gases. While several health systems have begun initiatives to reduce the use of nitrous oxide and other harmful gases, Denver Health is among the first to eliminate the tanks altogether.
From now on, nitrous oxide will be administered from small bottles.
David Abts, MD, an anesthesiologist at the system, told CBS News the previous tank system emitted the carbon equivalent to driving around the Earth's circumference 130 times each year The new model has led to a 95% reduction in waste.
"We're losing 90% of the nitrous oxide we buy just through the wall piping systems before it even reaches patients," Amanda Deis, MD, a pediatric anesthesiologist at Denver Health, told the outlet. "That's a tremendous amount of greenhouse gas with warming potential that costs the health system money, is bad for the environment and doesn't help patients at all."