Danville, Pa.-based Geisinger will phase out the use of anesthetic gas desflurane, according to an Oct. 24 report from Fox 56.
Desflurane is a potent greenhouse gas with a global warming potential of more than 2,500 times that of carbon dioxide.
In its place, Geisinger will utilize anesthesia gasses with lower global warming impacts. The system has already discontinued desflurane at Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., and is expected to discontinue usage systemwide throughout the rest of 2024.
Several other major health systems have also targeted pollutant anesthetic gasses as a way to reduce their climate footprints in 2024.