Reducing the environmental impact of surgery on a global scale: systematic review and co-prioritization with healthcare workers in 132 countries

Background Healthcare cannot achieve net-zero carbon without addressing operating theatres. The aim of this study was to prioritize feasible interventions to reduce the environmental impact of operating theatres. Methods This study adopted a four-phase Delphi consensus co-prioritization methodology. In phase 1, a systematic review of published interventions and global consultation of perioperative healthcare professionals were used to longlist interventions. In phase 2, iterative thematic analysis consolidated comparable interventions into a shortlist. In phase 3, the shortlist was co-prioritized based on patient and clinician views on acceptability, feasibility, and safety. In phase 4, ranked lists of interventions were presented by their relevance to high-income countries and low–middle-income countries. Results In phase 1, 43 interventions were identified, which had low uptake in practice according to 3042 professionals globally. In phase 2, a shortlist of 15 intervention domains was generated. In phase 3, interventions were deemed acceptable for more than 90 per cent of patients except for reducing general anaesthesia (84 per cent) and re-sterilization of ‘single-use’ consumables (86 per cent). In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for high-income countries were: introducing recycling; reducing use of anaesthetic gases; and appropriate clinical waste processing. In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for low–middle-income countries were: introducing reusable surgical devices; reducing use of consumables; and reducing the use of general anaesthesia. Conclusion This is a step toward environmentally sustainable operating environments with actionable interventions applicable to both high– and low–middle–income countries

Utilização da glutamina no tratamento de lesões de isquemia e reperfusão no jejuno em eqüinos Use of glutamine to treatment of ischemia and reperfusion lesions in equine jejune

Sob anestesia geral e com controle da pressão arterial, 12 eqüinos foram submetidos simultaneamente a modelos de isquemia venosa e distensão intraluminal em segmentos do jejuno por 2 h, seguidos de 12 h de reperfusão. Seis eqüinos foram tratados com glutamina a 2% (50mg/kg) por via intravenosa e seis com solução fisiológica em igual volume, 1 h após o início da isquemia e às 6h de reperfusão. Foram colhidas amostras de tecido intestinal antes e com 2 h de isquemia e com 2 e 12 h de reperfusão para avaliações histopatológica e ultraestrutural, mensuração da área e número das vilosidades por mm² e atividade de mieloperoxidade (MPO). Não foram encontradas diferenças entre os grupos controle e tratado. Concluiu-se que a glutamina, nas condições deste trabalho, não atenua lesões de isquemia e reperfusão intestinal em eqüinos.<br>Under general anesthesia and arterial pressure control, twelve horses were submitted simultaneously to intraluminal distension and venous ischemia of jejune for 2 hours, followed by 12 hours of reperfusion. Six horses were treated with intravenous 2% glutamine (50mg/kg), and six others were treated with the same volume of saline solution 1h after the beginning of ischemia and 6 hours after reperfusion. Intestinal samples were collected before and after 2 hours of ischemia and after 2 and 12 hours of reperfusion, and were submitted to hystopatological analyses, ultrastructural examination, measurement of area and number of villi per mm², and to myeloperoxidases activity. No statistical differences between the groups were found. It was concluded that glutamine did not attenuate the ischemia and reperfusion lesions under the methodology used in this study