CONSCIOUS AWARENESS DURING GENERAL-ANESTHESIA - PATIENTS PERCEPTIONS,EMOTIONS, COGNITION AND REACTIONS

We interviewed 45 patients, who answered advertisements (n = 21) or we re referred by colleagues (n = 24), about their experience of intraope rative awareness using a standardized questionnaire. Auditory percepti ons, hearing sounds or voices were mentioned by all patients (45 of 45 ): 33 of 45 patients understood and recalled conversations; 21 of 45 p atients had visual perceptions; 12 of 21 recognized things or faces; 2 9 of 45 patients felt being touched; three patients had the sensation of moderate pain; and eight patients were in severe pain. Patients' fe elings were mostly related to paralysis (27 of 45), helplessness (28 o f 45), anxiety and fear (22 of 45); 18 were in severe panic. All patie nts (45 of 45) recognized the situation as a real event: 22 of 45 pati ents experienced unpleasant after effects; 11 suffered from anxiety an d nightmares; and three developed post-traumatic stress disorder syndr ome and required medical treatment. Twenty of 45 patients were especia lly attentive to emotionally relevant remarks on their own person, the ir disease and the course of their operation. The accuracy of sensory perception indicates a very high level of cognitive performance of pat ients during intraoperative awareness.