Reduction in use of local anaesthetic spray

Project completed as part of the  University Hospital Dorset NHS Foundation Trust Green Team Competition.

Setting/Patient Group: Post operative care - Recovery Rooms

Issue to be addressed:

Pharmaceuticals are the greatest contributor to the carbon footprint of procurement.

Ethyl Chloride is a local anaesthetic spray used only to provide a sensory cold sensation to check spinal and epidural anaesthesia blocks. It is disposed through domestic waste and the spray takes months to degrade, if released into the environment it is acutely toxic to the environment.

Intervention:

The aim was to reduce ethyl chloride spray use in recovery rooms of a single hospital with a low carbon switch to cold stainless- steel sticks with handles.

1. Baseline data of ethyl chloride current use through audits.
2. Stakeholder engagement for low carbon switch.

• Staff including infection control team contacted in key meetings/email.
• Patient opinion on experience of cold stick use gathered.

3. Poster campaign for education of staff about the switch.

Outcome:

Clinical

• Lowered risk of adverse events reported from ethyl chloride use
• Better staff reported patient experience with cold-sticks over spray
• No patient reported concerns with stick use

Social

• Improved links with local suppliers supporting local economy
• Improved staff team working

Environmental

• Reduction by 5.2cans per week over 2 units, scaled to potential saving of 270 cans/year
• Estimated carbon saving 4,613kgCO₂e/year in 2 units.

Economic

• Projected saving of £4,827

Key learning point

This project demonstrated the power of group influence to make a difference with a straightforward low carbon swap.