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Intraoperative awareness during paediatric anaesthesia.
H J Blussé van Oud-Alblas1, M van Dijk, C Liu
1Department of Anaesthesiology, Erasmus University Medical Centre-Sophia Children's Hospital, Dr Molewaterplein 60, 3015 GJ Rotterdam, The Netherlands. h.blussevanoudalblas@erasmusmc.nl
British Journal of Anaesthesia
|November 7, 2008
Summary
The incidence of intraoperative awareness in children undergoing general anesthesia is 0.6%. This finding suggests awareness during anesthesia is more common in children than adults, though not typically stressful.
Area of Science:
- Anesthesiology
- Pediatric Surgery
Background:
- Previous research suggests a higher incidence of anesthesia awareness in children (1%) compared to adults (0.2%).
- Intraoperative awareness poses a potential risk during surgical procedures.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the incidence of intraoperative awareness in pediatric patients undergoing surgery.
- To compare awareness rates in children versus adults.
Main Methods:
- Prospective cohort study involving 928 pediatric patients (aged 5-18 years).
- Data collected via structured interviews at 24 hours, 3-7 days, and 30 days post-operation.
- Suspected awareness cases adjudicated by four independent experts.
Main Results:
- Six cases of true intraoperative awareness were identified, resulting in an incidence of 0.6% (95% CI 0.03-1.40%).
- Auditory and sensory perceptions were the most commonly reported experiences.
- Most children did not find the awareness episodes to be stressful.
Conclusions:
- The incidence of intraoperative awareness in children is comparable to recent international reports.
- Anesthesia awareness appears to be more frequent in children than in adult populations.
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