Perspectives on sustainable practices in the use of nitrous oxide for labour analgesia: A patient and staff survey.
Eur J Anaesthesiol
; 41(7): 473-479, 2024 Jul 01.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-38757157
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
Climate change has emerged as the single biggest global health threat of the twenty-first century. Nitrous oxide accounts for the largest carbon footprint amongst our use of anaesthetic gas. It is a potent greenhouse gas possessing a global warming potential of approximately 265 times that of carbon dioxide. Despite recent curtailment of its use, it remains extensively employed as an analgesic for women in labour.OBJECTIVES:
Assessment of the opinions of post-natal women and staff on nitrous oxide use and to investigate whether knowledge of its environmental harm would influence their choice of labour analgesia.DESIGN:
Postnatal women and healthcare staff were invited to participate in a survey of nitrous oxide use as a labour analgesic and knowledge of its effect of the environment.SETTING:
A single-centre study in a major obstetric tertiary referral centre in Ireland in 2021. MAIN OUTCOMEMEASURES:
To evaluate the awareness and perceptions of postnatal women and staff regarding the environmental impact of nitrous oxide and if it would affect their decision to use it in the future.RESULTS:
One hundred postnatal women and 50 healthcare staff completed the survey. One hundred and six post-natal women were invited to complete the survey, resulting in a response rate of 94%. Knowledge of nitrous oxide's environmental impact was low. After receiving information, 46% of patients were more inclined to seek epidural or request it earlier (54%) to limit their nitrous oxide use, while 51% would choose an alternative analgesia to avoid nitrous oxide altogether. Overwhelmingly, 99% believed they had the right to know about these harmful effects when choosing an analgesic option.CONCLUSIONS:
Patients should be informed of the environmental impact of nitrous oxide antenatally, empowering them to make informed decision on a climate friendly analgesic option if they wish.
Texto completo:
1
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Analgesia Obstétrica
/
Óxido Nitroso
Limite:
Adult
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Female
/
Humans
/
Pregnancy
País como assunto:
Europa
Idioma:
En
Ano de publicação:
2024
Tipo de documento:
Article