The carbon footprint of emergency care for low back pain in Sydney, Australia, 2016–2021
Abstract
Abstract Background Low back pain (LBP) contributes to most years lived with disability worldwide and is one of the most common reasons why Australians visit the emergency department (ED). The carbon footprint associated with this high-volume care pathway may be substantial; however, no estimates exist. We aimed to quantify carbon emissions associated with LBP ED presentations in New South Wales (NSW), Australia. Methods We conducted a retrospective analysis of the electronic health records of adults presenting with LBP to EDs in three large NSW hospitals between 2016-2021. Patients were identified using discharge diagnostic codes and classified as having non-specific LBP, LBP with neurological signs and symptoms, or a serious spinal pathology. Environmental Life Cycle Assessment was used to estimate the carbon emissions associated with patient travel and key components of care: diagnostic imaging, pathology testing, and medication prescription. Outcomes were reported as mean per patient and mean annual totals. Differences in per-patient emissions across discharge destinations and LBP categories were assessed using a t-test and a one-way ANOVA, respectively. Findings There were 15,736 ED presentations for LBP during the study period. Mean carbon footprint per presentation was 5.8 kg CO₂e (SD 15.1) and mean annual total across the three hospitals was 15,174.1 kg CO₂e (SD 1,485.6), equivalent to driving a medium-sized petrol car approximately 45,000 kilometres or just over the…
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