THE CLAIMS OF COMPENSATION FOR AWARENESS WITH RECALL DURING GENERAL-ANESTHESIA IN FINLAND

Background: Awareness during anaesthesia has been estimated to occur i n 0.2%-0.4% of patients undergoing general surgery. In Finland, accord ing to the Patient Injury Act, compensation is paid for an injury caus ed by medical treatment. We have analysed the claims for compensation involving awareness under anaesthesia filed between May, 1987 and Dece mber, 1993. Methods: Original claims, hospital notes, and expert advis or's comments as well as the comments of the anaesthesiologist in char ge of the anaesthesia, and decisions of the Patient Injury Association , were reviewed. Results: A total of 23 363 claims of patient injury w ere made during the study period. Of these, 391 considered anaesthetic treatments, and there were four cases of awareness with recall. Concl usion: Claims of compensation for awareness during anaesthesia were su rprisingly few, possible reasons of which are discussed. Compensations paid were low in comparison with some other countries. (C) Acta Anaes thesiologica Scandinavica 41 (1997).