S. Ranta et al., RECALL OF AWARENESS DURING CARDIAC ANESTHESIA - INFLUENCE OF FEEDBACKINFORMATION TO THE ANESTHESIOLOGIST, Acta anaesthesiologica Scandinavica, 40(5), 1996, pp. 554-560
We interviewed 303 cardiac surgery patients to evaluate the incidence
of intraoperative awareness with recall. First, we randomly interviewe
d 99 patients, of whom four patients (4%) reported awareness and recal
l. We informed the cardiac anaesthesiologists of the results of these
interviews, and we also gave general information regarding means to re
duce awareness and recall during general anaesthesia. Thereafter, we i
nterviewed 204 consecutive cardiac surgery patients. Now, three of the
patients (1.5%) had intraoperative awareness with recall. The reducti
on in the incidence from 4% to 1.5% was not significant. However, the
doses of principal anaesthetic drugs had increased significantly betwe
en the two interview phases, while the dose of pancuronium, the main m
uscle relaxant used, had decreased significantly. Also, there was a si
gnificant increase in the number of anaesthesias where anaesthetic age
nts had been administered continuously instead of bolus or non-continu
ous dosing techniques. Between the patients with awareness and recall
and those without it, there was no difference in the doses of anaesthe
tic agents given. The patients with awareness were significantly young
er than those not aware. In conclusion, with educational measures and
vigilance over the problem, the incidence of intraoperative awareness
during cardiac anaesthesia may be reduced. The incidence figure of 1.5
% we observed is of the magnitude reported recently by others with mod
ern cardiac anaesthesia techniques.