RECALL OF INTRAOPERATIVE EVENTS AFTER GENERAL-ANESTHESIA AND CARDIOPULMONARY BYPASS

We wished to identify patients able to recall intraoperative events af ter general anaesthesia involving cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). A bala nced anaesthetic technique consisting of benzodiazepines, low dose fen tanyl (15.9 +/- 8.5 mug . kg-1) and a volatile agent was employed Peri operative recall was sought utilizing a structured interview on the fo urth or fifth postoperative day. During 20 mo 837 patients underwent C PB. Seven hundred patients (84%) were able to respond to a structured postoperative interview. A detailed chart review was performed in pati ents with recall and in 60 randomly selected patients without recall. Eight patients (1.14%) reported recall of intraoperative events. We we re unable to identify any differences between the two groups with resp ect to narcotic, benzodiazepine dosage or usage of inhalational agents . The incidence of recall in patients undergoing cardiac surgery was l ess in our group than previously reported It is, however, higher than the 0.2% incidence recently reported in patients undergoing non-cardia c surgery. This is probably due to patient characteristics and intraop erative factors which make it difficult to avoid periods of relatively light anaesthesia during cardiac surgery.