Columbus-based OhioHealth is transitioning away from centralized nitrous oxide delivery systems as part of a sustainability effort aimed at reducing waste and emissions.
The system is replacing large, piped nitrous oxide infrastructure with smaller e-cylinder tanks attached directly to anesthesia machines. The change allows clinicians to continue using the anesthetic while reducing unused gas that can escape through centralized systems, according to an April 22 system news release.
Nitrous oxide is widely used for pain relief and sedation but has 265 times the global warming potential of carbon dioxide and can persist in the atmosphere for more than a century.
OhioHealth piloted the approach at Delaware, Ohio-based Grady Memorial Hospital in 2024 through a six-month feasibility study and has since expanded it to Doctors Hospital in Columbus. No safety events were reported during the pilot, according to the release.
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