Perspectives on Sustainable Practices in the Use of Nitrous Oxide for Labour Analgesia

( Eur J Anaesthesiol . 2024;41(7):473–479. doi:10.1097/EJA.0000000000002005) Climate change has emerged as the largest global health threat of the 21st century, with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change emphasizing the urgent need to limit global temperature rise to 1.5 °C above preindustrial levels to prevent catastrophic consequences. Current projections, however, suggest that this target may not be achieved, endangering not only the progress made in health care over the past 50 years but also future advancements. The health care sector itself is a substantial contributor to climate change, accounting for ∼4.4% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Within this sector, certain practices, particularly in anesthesiology, contribute disproportionately to carbon footprints. For instance, nitrous oxide, a widely used inhaled anesthetic during labor, is a potent greenhouse gas, responsible for significant contributions to global warming and ozone depletion. In this study, researchers aimed to investigate awareness and perceptions regarding the environmental impact of nitrous oxide among postnatal women and health care staff involved in labor analgesia.