Villach – In order to set an example for sustainability in the clinical area, the anesthetic gases are now being recycled in the LKH Villach. Because: These gases are direct and potent greenhouse gases and have a measurable influence on global warming, as reported by KABEG in a press release.
The anesthetic gas has been recycled at the LKH Villach since March.
“It is enormously important to also include the clinical area in the environmental measures,” says Ernst Trampitsch , head of the department for anesthesiology and intensive care medicine at the LKH Villach CO2 and can remain in the atmosphere for years, it is important to create awareness of the use of anesthetic gases.” For this reason, the LKH Villach started recycling anesthetic gases at the end of March 2022. And that as the first hospital in Austria.
A seven-hour operation is as damaging as a 1,500-kilometer drive
“In the future, the gases will no longer be released into the atmosphere, but collected in a container. Finally, new anesthetic gas is produced from the collected gases,” explains Trampitsch. A not insignificant contribution to protecting the environment, as a comparison shows: the anesthetic gas produced during a seven-hour operation is as harmful as driving a car 1,500 kilometers. In addition, the staff should also be trained to avoid wasting anesthetic gas.
Team takes care of environmental protection in the hospital
Another important “green” step is the trend towards regional anesthesia. “It’s much more environmentally friendly,” says the doctor. Since environmental protection is generally very important at the LKH Villach, a “Green Team” was formed in 2021 – a group of nursing, medical and administrative employees who have taken on the issue of environmental protection in the hospital.