Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 28, 2026

Anesthesia and Intubation of Preadolescent Mouse Pups for Cardiothoracic Surgery
09:47

Anesthesia and Intubation of Preadolescent Mouse Pups for Cardiothoracic Surgery

Published on: June 2, 2022

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
PubMed

Insights

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.
Abstract

More Related Videos

Guidelines for Elective Pediatric Fiberoptic Intubation11:19

Guidelines for Elective Pediatric Fiberoptic Intubation

Published on: January 17, 2011

Related Concept Videos

General Anesthesia: Overview01:24

General Anesthesia: Overview

Anesthesia is a medical procedure that uses drugs for CNS suppression to enable painless surgeries and procedures. The selection of anesthetics is influenced by their pharmacokinetic properties, side effects, and patient characteristics. Various types of anesthesia include general, local, regional, spinal, and inhalational.
General anesthesia induces unconsciousness in the whole body, while the others target specific areas or sensations. It is administered to minimize adverse effects, maintain...
Stages of General Anesthesia01:22

Stages of General Anesthesia

Various sedation levels offer significant advantages in facilitating procedural interventions for patients undergoing medical or invasive surgical procedures. These levels span from anxiolysis to general anesthesia, providing a spectrum of sedative effects to cater to specific patient needs. Anxiolysis reduces anxiety and is achieved through minimal sedation, enabling patients to remain awake and responsive while feeling more at ease during the procedure. This level can benefit minor...
Parenteral Anesthetics: Overview01:24

Parenteral Anesthetics: Overview

Intravenous anesthetics are drugs administered parenterally to induce anesthesia or sedation. Propofol is a widely used agent formulated as a 1% emulsion in soybean oil, glycerol, and egg phosphatide. It induces rapid anesthesia primarily due to its rapid distribution from the bloodstream to target tissues and is metabolized in the liver. However, it can cause significant pain on injection and hypertriglyceridemia. Fospropofol, a water-based prodrug of propofol, lacks these adverse effects.
Inhalational Anesthetics: Overview01:20

Inhalational Anesthetics: Overview

Inhalation anesthetics are drugs that induce general anesthesia upon inhalation. They work by increasing the sensitivity of GABAA receptors or inhibiting NMDA receptors, leading to a decrease in central nervous system activity. The depth of anesthesia can be rapidly adjusted by changing the concentration of the inhaled gas. Some common examples of inhalational anesthetics include volatile liquids like isoflurane, desflurane, sevoflurane and gases like xenon and nitrous oxide. Isoflurane, a...
Local Anesthetics: Clinical Application as Epidural Anesthesia01:29

Local Anesthetics: Clinical Application as Epidural Anesthesia

Epidural anesthetics are administered in the fat-filled epidural space, the outermost part of the spinal canal. This technique is commonly employed for pain management and anesthesia during lower abdomen and pelvis surgeries or labor and delivery.
Since epidural anesthetics can be infused through an epidural catheter, all types of drugs, including short-acting ones, can be administered. Chloroprocaine and lidocaine are examples of short and long-duration anesthetics, respectively. Bupivacaine...
Cardiomyopathy VII: Pre and Post Operative Nursing Management01:28

Cardiomyopathy VII: Pre and Post Operative Nursing Management

Patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) and left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) obstruction who remain symptomatic despite optimal medical therapy may undergo a septal myectomy (Morrow procedure). This procedure involves excising a portion of the hypertrophied septum below the aortic valve using a heart-lung machine to improve blood flow through the LVOT. Effective preoperative and postoperative nursing management ensures successful patient outcomes, minimizes complications, and...