4.6% of patients under general anesthesia may remain conscious: 3 study insights

A study in Anesthesiology investigated the incidence of patient consciousness after undergoing general anesthesia.

The researchers recruited 260 adult patients to receive intravenous anesthesia; the researchers then used the "isolated forearm technique" to determine consciousness. In this technique, participants under anesthesia are asked to move the hand of a tourniquet-isolated arm, in an effort to gauge their responsiveness. Previous data suggest that 37 percent of patients may experience consciousness during general anesthesia, according to the study.

Here's what you need to know:

1. A total of 4.6 percent of the respondents demonstrated signs of consciousness; of those who responded, almost half reported they felt pain.

2. The respondents who demonstrated signs of consciousness were younger than those who did not demonstrate signs of consciousness.

3. None of the participants had a recollection of intraoperative events during follow-up questioning.

The researchers concluded, "intraoperative connected consciousness occurred frequently, although the rate is up to 10-times lower than anticipated. This should be considered a conservative estimate of intraoperative connected consciousness."

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