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Anesthetic awareness revealed! How to avoid the danger of awakening during surgery?
Being awake during surgery, while a rare occurrence, can be a terrifying experience. This condition is often referred to as anesthetic awareness, and the technical terms are "intraoperative awareness" or "accidental awareness of general anesthesia (AAGA)." According to research, the incidence of this phenomenon is only 0.1% to 0.2%. Nevertheless, patients who experience intraoperative awareness may face great psychological trauma, which may lead to more serious psychological problems such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Patients may experience anything from a hazy, dream-like state to being fully awake, unable to move, and in pain during surgery.
One of the main causes of intraoperative awareness is insufficient anesthetic dosage. Anesthesiologists need to correctly assess the required anesthetic dose based on the patient's needs. Risk factors include not only the anesthesia technique itself, but also the type of surgery, the patient's health status, and the conditions during anesthesia.
Reasons for being awake during surgery
Several major causes of anesthesia awareness include:
- Inadequate anesthetic: In some emergency surgeries, in order to ensure the patient's life safety, the anesthesiologist may choose light anesthesia, which increases the risk of the patient waking up.
- Use of muscle relaxants: These drugs usually cause muscle paralysis, which means that even if the person is conscious, they cannot move or make any sound at will.
- Medical personnel errors: Includes incorrect anesthetic dosage, equipment malfunction, and improper operation.
This is further complicated by the fact that many patients cannot recall their experience of anesthetic awareness until weeks or even months after surgery.
Methods to prevent intraoperative awareness
To reduce the risk of intraoperative awareness, medical personnel can take the following approaches:
- Avoid unnecessary use of muscle relaxants and be flexible in choosing anesthesia methods.
- Carefully check all anesthetic agents and equipment to ensure correct dosage.
- The patient's depth of anesthesia is continuously monitored using advanced monitoring equipment to reduce the risk of consciousness.
In addition, some experts recommend counseling for patients before surgery to manage their expectations. In high-risk patients, pre-sedation with benzodiazepines can also reduce the chance of intraoperative awareness.
Postoperative effects and responses
Patients who experience intraoperative awareness may face psychological distress after surgery, with symptoms including anxiety, insomnia, and even post-traumatic stress disorder. Experts emphasize that it is essential to conduct postoperative interviews and look for potential consciousness events. For patients diagnosed with intraoperative awareness, timely psychological counseling and treatment are essential.
ConclusionAppropriate intervention and counseling after surgery can effectively reduce the occurrence of PTSD and help patients re-establish a normal life pattern.
Although intraoperative awareness is a rare but serious problem, appropriate precautions and advances in technology can help reduce its risk. Every patient should have sufficient understanding and preparation for the anesthesia process before undergoing surgery. In this case, what measures do you think are most effective in preventing the risk of awakening during surgery?
