From ESS to L-ESS waste in the operating room

The detrimental effects of climate change on global health are becoming increasingly evident, also within rhinology. Climate change has been shown to cause a longer and more intense pollen season, while the prevalence of allergic rhinitis is expected to rise due to de novo sensitizations caused by the migration of plants (1). Chronic rhinosinusitis patients will be affected by increasing air pollution as well as changes in spread of potent pathogens and vectors associated with upper airway infections (2,3). Meanwhile, healthcare is an evident contributor to climate change (4). Operating rooms (ORs) have been identified as carbon hotspots due to their high energy consumption (5) and the use of anaesthetic gases with high Global Warming Potential (6). Also, ORs have been estimated to generate up to 33% of all hospital waste (7).