Anesthesiologists Need Device to Prevent Intraoperative Awareness

The anesthesia community needs a device to better monitor anesthetized patients, according to a Spectrum report.

According to a recent study in the New England Journal of Medicine, the two methods for preventing intraoperative awareness — the medical term for waking up during surgery while under anesthesia — are not particularly successful.

The study showed that end-tidal anesthetic-agent concentration worked slightly better than electroencephalogram for monitoring patient consciousness. Of about 3,000 cases, there were 19 cases of "definite or possible" awareness associated with the EEG method, compared to 8 in the groups monitored with the ETAC method.

According to the report, a growing number of neuroscientists are working to quantify consciousness with various types of technologies, including MRI and other neuroimaging systems. The report suggests that one or more of these approaches could be used to enhance or possibly replace ETAC and EEG-based methods.

Related Articles on Anesthesia:
Ins and Outs of 4 ASC Anesthesia Provider Models
Mayo Clinic Anesthesiologist Revives Patient After 96 Minutes
Detroit Lions Wide Receiver to Pursue Nurse Anesthesia Degree After Football

Copyright © 2024 Becker's Healthcare. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy. Cookie Policy. Linking and Reprinting Policy.

 

Featured Webinars

Featured Whitepapers

Featured Podcast