Healthcare Emissions 101
Percentage of US greenhouse gas emissions that are associated with the healthcare delivery system
What is 8.5%
Estimated amount of trash from one inpatient floor day in a double bed room. (in kg)
What is 5.5 kg
Item that must be dispensed from a pharmacy with a liquid medication
What is a dose dispensing device?
~ Cost of an IV flush
What is about 1-2 dollars?
Name one harm from unnecessary contact precautions for a hospitalized patient (besides waste)
Less healthcare worker time.
Name three greenhouse gasses and their sources within healthcare
What are..
Methane (Landfill, burning gas for energy)
Carbon dioxide (burning coal/gas for energy, embodied carbon within supplies)
Hydrofluorocarbons (anesthetics and propellants in MDI)
Nitrous oxide
This modification in hospitalizated pediatric patients for suspected bone/joint infection resulted in lower LOS, less sedation, lower costs, and decreased need for anesthesia.
What is the rapid MRI?
Name two antibiotics available as chewable tablets
Amoxicillin (250 mg) and Amoxicillin clavulanate
Number of medical directors of sustainability with FTE towards these efforts
What is 29?
Number of gowns and gloves that would be needed to administer one dose of vancomycin to a patient designated to need contact precautions.
6 gloves, 3 gowns for three room entries
The estimated greenhouse gas emissions from disposal of an endotracheal tube culture. Give the answer in an equivalent miles driven in a gas powered vehicle
What is 0.4-0.5 miles
In an NYC hospital system, they defaulted to a plant based diet and patients were given two plant based options. If they declined these two options there was a meat based option. what percentage of patients opted for a plant based meal?
What is 95%
By how much emissions (in miles driven equivalent) more is intravenous metronidazole vs. oral metronidazole given for a 5 day course?
What is 197 times?
Children's National saved 30,000 per year in plastic cost by doing this.
What is changing their plastic bag policy for the pneumatic tubes?
What percentage of trash generated in hospitals is plastic waste.
What is over 50%
Most plastic is from PPE
The energy equivalent generated from unnecessary antibiotics from 2014-2015 is the same energy equivalent as driving this number of times around the equator in a gas powered vehicle
Over 100 times!
Term used the describe the greenhouse gas emissions needed to both generate and dispose of a product
What is a life cycle analysis?
In this randomized controlled trial in India, early switch from IV to po of this non antimicrobial therapeutic class of drugs was associated with decreased cost, lower thrombophlebitis and decreased LOS.
What are anti-epileptics?
The Iran war has increased the cost of these medical supplies by about 40%
What are nitrile gloves?
This systems is used to classify if patient care items need to be disinfected or sterlized.
What is the Spaulding classification?
The largest single chunk of greenhouse gas emissions in healthcare is from this category.
True/False. Some hospital systems are using a compostable pill bottle in the outpatient pharmacy
Which is cheaper to treat ESBL bacteremia..a day of ertapenem or meropenem?
Average cost of a wasted dose of cefepime?
What is 30 dollars?
Antibiotic stewardship often is associated with decreased diarrhea so we probably save diapers. What is the amount of crude oil equivalent to make one diaper?
What is one cup?