Greenhouse gas emissions associated with suboptimal asthma care in the UK: the SABINA healthCARe-Based envirONmental cost of treatment (CARBON) study.

BACKGROUND: Poorly controlled asthma is associated with increased morbidity and healthcare resource utilisation (HCRU). Therefore, to quantify the environmental impact of asthma care, this retrospective, cohort, healthCARe-Based envirONmental cost of treatment (CARBON) study estimated greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the UK associated with the management of well-controlled versus poorly controlled asthma. METHODS: Patients with current asthma (aged ≥12 years) registered with the Clinical Practice Research Datalink (2008‒2019) were included. GHG emissions, measured as carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e), were estimated for asthma-related medication use, HCRU and exacerbations during follow-up of patients with asthma classified at baseline as well-controlled (<3 short-acting ß2-agonist (SABA) canisters/year and no exacerbations) or poorly controlled (≥3 SABA canisters/year or ≥1 exacerbation). Excess GHG emissions due to suboptimal asthma control included ≥3 SABA canister prescriptions/year, exacerbations and any general practitioner and outpatient visits within 10 days of hospitalisation or an emergency department visit. RESULTS: Of the 236 506 patients analysed, 47.3% had poorly controlled asthma at baseline. Scaled to the national level, the overall carbon footprint of asthma care in the UK was 750 540 tonnes CO2e/year, with poorly controlled asthma contributing excess GHG emissions of 303 874 tonnes CO2e/year, which is equivalent to emissions from >124 000 houses in the UK. Poorly controlled versus well-controlled asthma generated 3.1-fold higher overall and 8.1-fold higher excess per capita carbon footprint, largely SABA-induced, with smaller contributions from HCRU. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that addressing the high burden of poorly controlled asthma, including curbing high SABA use and its associated risk of exacerbations, may significantly alleviate asthma care-related carbon emissions.

Initial experiences with NAM-assisted primary repair of the BCLP deformity.

BACKGROUND: Primary surgical repair of the bilateral cleft lip and palate (BCLP) deformity is challenging. Infant Orthopedic (IO) procedures are often used to assist surgical reconstruction of normal anatomy. Nasoalveolar molding (NAM) is a presurgical infant orthopedic procedure that attempts to reduce the cleft nasal deformity, in addition to the lip and alveolus, leading to an esthetic primary surgical repair. OBJECTIVE: NAM provides the surgical team with a better foundation for an easier and more esthetic single stage repair at the level of nose in addition to the lip and alveolus. METHOD: Infant nasal cartilages are amenable to correction with NAM in the first few weeks of infancy when they retain their plasticity. NAM-assisted surgical repair of a complete BCLP infant is discussed. Postoperatively nasal stents were used to retain results and minimize relapse. RESULTS: NAM helped correct premaxillary deviation and protrusion, reduce alveolar cleft width and improve the nasal morphology prior to surgery in the BCLP infant. CONCLUSIONS: NAM helped reduce the severity of the cleft deformity in the BCLP infant and facilitated an easier and esthetic single stage primary surgical repair.