Views: 1,283 | Downloads:
21
| Responses: 0
| XML | Respond to this article | Alert & updates | Request permissions | Email to a friend |
Original ArticleOpen Access
Awareness Under General Anesthesia
Chaiwat O 
,
Vacharaksa K ,
Prakanrattana U
,
Vacharaksa K ,
Prakanrattana U ONUMA CHAIWAT, M.D.*,
KAMHEANG VACHARAKSA, M.D.*,
UNGKAB PRAKANRATTANA, M.D.*,
Objective : To determine the occurrence and associated factors of awareness in the patients
undergoing elective surgery under general anesthesia.
Methods : A prospective cohort study of 802 patients, scheduled for elective general and
gynecological surgery under endotracheal anesthesia was performed at Siriraj Hospital. Balanced
general endotracheal anesthesia was performed as routine practice. Standard monitoring and clinical
observation for movement, tear, sweat, and eye-lid opening were obtained. They were interviewed
during the first 12 hours after a surgical completion.
If
the patient was suspected to have awareness,
then a second interview was performed on postoperative day 3.
Results : The ages of the study population were 16-84 years. There were 659 females and
143 males. Awareness was found in 5 patients (3 females, 2 males) as an occurrence of 0.62 per cent.
The only positive clinical observation found was hand movement. The cause of awareness should
be inadequate anesthesia. Apart from that, data gathered from interviews with the group who had no
awareness (797 patients), the last thing they could remember before unconsciousness was auditory
perception. Also hearing someone calling was the first thing upon awakening. Most of the patients
did not dream during anesthesia. No serious psychological disorder occurred.
Conclusion : The occurrence of awareness was 0.62 per cent in the patients undergoing
surgery under anesthesia. Inadequate anesthesia was the most likely cause of awareness. No post-
operative sequelae of awareness occurred.
Key word : Awareness, General Anesthesia, General Surgery
KAMHEANG VACHARAKSA, M.D.*,
UNGKAB PRAKANRATTANA, M.D.*,
Objective : To determine the occurrence and associated factors of awareness in the patients
undergoing elective surgery under general anesthesia.
Methods : A prospective cohort study of 802 patients, scheduled for elective general and
gynecological surgery under endotracheal anesthesia was performed at Siriraj Hospital. Balanced
general endotracheal anesthesia was performed as routine practice. Standard monitoring and clinical
observation for movement, tear, sweat, and eye-lid opening were obtained. They were interviewed
during the first 12 hours after a surgical completion.
If
the patient was suspected to have awareness,
then a second interview was performed on postoperative day 3.
Results : The ages of the study population were 16-84 years. There were 659 females and
143 males. Awareness was found in 5 patients (3 females, 2 males) as an occurrence of 0.62 per cent.
The only positive clinical observation found was hand movement. The cause of awareness should
be inadequate anesthesia. Apart from that, data gathered from interviews with the group who had no
awareness (797 patients), the last thing they could remember before unconsciousness was auditory
perception. Also hearing someone calling was the first thing upon awakening. Most of the patients
did not dream during anesthesia. No serious psychological disorder occurred.
Conclusion : The occurrence of awareness was 0.62 per cent in the patients undergoing
surgery under anesthesia. Inadequate anesthesia was the most likely cause of awareness. No post-
operative sequelae of awareness occurred.
Key word : Awareness, General Anesthesia, General Surgery
Download:
PDF