Protecting clinician autonomy and patient safety within the climate debate: the case for desflurane in modern anaesthesia
Blanket restrictions undermine anaesthetists' ability to tailor care, and limit training, resilience, and preparedness in the face of drug shortages. We urge policymakers to support anaesthetic diversity and protect desflurane's availability where use is clinically justified. Sustainability efforts should focus on high-impact areas like energy use, equipment manufacturing, and waste, rather than eliminating valuable pharmacological options. Patient safety and evidence-based practice must remain central as we strive toward a more responsible, nuanced environmental approach in anaesthesia.
Authors
- Kai Zacharowski (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0212-9110)
- Marco Rossi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3767-4362)
- Laurentiu Marin (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8837-8080)
- Robert Kleinberg (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3167-0176)
- Peter Kranke (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5324-981X)
- Francisco Reinoso‐Barbero (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1605-3831)
- Geert Sanders
- Jan Jakobsson (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5829-1803)
- Giovanni Landoni
Institutions
- Boston University (US)
- Goethe University Frankfurt (DE)
- Karolinska University Hospital (SE)
- Vita-Salute San Raffaele University (IT)
- Hospital Universitario La Paz (ES)
- Danderyds sjukhus (SE)
- Agostino Gemelli University Polyclinic (IT)
- Medway Maritime Hospital (GB)
- Universitätsklinikum Würzburg (DE)
- University Hospital Frankfurt (DE)
- IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele (IT)
- Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (ES)
- Columbia University (US)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Current Opinion in Anaesthesiology
- Published
- 2025-12-03
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1097/aco.0000000000001595
- Citations
- 1
- Primary Topic
- Climate Change and Health Impacts
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 1.20