Recent findings indicate that climate change is causing unexpected health issues for Americans, with waste generated by the healthcare industry contributing to the crisis, according to a report from a leading medical journal.

This report was released this week in the renowned British medical journal, The Lancet, as part of a worldwide investigation into the effects of climate change on health.

The document asserts that climate change is causing a deteriorating health crisis that could reverse decades of advancements in public health.

Every year since 2016, The Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change releases a report. The latest edition urges global leaders and the U.S. government to swiftly decrease fossil fuel consumption and encourage a shift towards clean energy.

According to Jonathan Buonocore, a Boston University Environmental Health professor and co-author of the report, the health risks posed by climate change are on par with those stemming from medical mistakes.

(A study from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine reports that preventable medical errors result in 250,000 deaths in the U.S. annually.)

Various factors contribute to how climate change affects Americans’ health. These include air pollution from fossil fuels, intensified tropical storms, heat waves that can lead to premature births, and anticipated future climate change impacts.

On a positive note, the increased use of wind and solar energy in the U.S. has been associated with approximately 1,200 to 1,600 fewer cases of premature deaths in 2022, attributed to improved air quality.

Healthcare waste contributes to the climate issue, say researchers

The report emphasizes the healthcare industry’s role in climate change, noting that it accounts for 8.5% of greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. Researchers point out that there is no federal mandate for the industry to track, manage, or report its emissions.

This figure not only captures the energy used in hospitals and clinics but also includes the vast quantities of medical waste produced daily, primarily single-use plastics, according to Buonocore.

While these disposable plastics are intended to maintain hygiene in hospitals and surgical settings, researchers believe that it is possible to minimize waste while still ensuring patient safety.

Additonally, heating and cooling expenses are a concern. Systems for heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) in operating rooms function continuously, regardless of whether there are patients present, as noted by Dr. Shaneeta Johnson, a Surgery professor at Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta, Georgia.

Surgical rooms generate significant waste

“Approximately 30% of medical waste in the U.S. originates from operating rooms,” she stated. This waste includes disposable tools, plastic sheets, syringes, tubes, bandages, and anything that may have been in contact with bodily fluids, which is often mandated to be incinerated for disposal.

Hospitals are actively working on creating “lean” surgical trays, which only contain sterilized instruments that the surgeon is likely to use, rather than preparing an excess of tools that may not be required. This approach requires collaboration with surgeons to select only the instruments needed and eliminate those that are unnecessary.

“There are considerable opportunities to streamline surgical trays to minimize the number of instruments requiring autoclaving,” Johnson explained. Research indicates that such practices can reduce the environmental impact of healthcare facilities.

An autoclave is a device that uses high-temperature steam under pressure for sterilizing surgical tools.

“We need to put more effort into cutting down on waste—both physical waste and the waste of resources caused by overdiagnosis and overtreatment. Addressing these issues could save the country substantial amounts of money and significantly reduce the healthcare sector’s carbon footprint,” remarked Dr. Vivian Lee, author of the book “The Long Fix” and an executive fellow at Harvard Business School who has discussed this topic extensively.

Lee explains that, on average, each hospital patient generates over 30 pounds of waste daily, primarily due to the reliance on single-use items. Some of this waste comes from procedures that are largely unnecessary. “Many professional organizations have compiled extensive lists of excessive treatments, such as prescribing antibiotics for colds or conducting X-rays for low back pain. These practices waste valuable resources, contribute to a larger carbon footprint, and rarely benefit patients,” Lee stated.