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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...
Subconsciousness and No Awareness01:15

Subconsciousness and No Awareness

The concept of subconscious awareness refers to the processing of information below the level of conscious thought, which significantly influences both behaviors and decisions. It is also known as waking subconscious awareness. This complex level of cognition operates without the direct awareness of the individual, facilitating rapid and simultaneous handling of multiple information streams.
An illustrative example of subconscious processing is its role in problem-solving. Often, individuals...
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...
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.
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...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 12, 2026

Recording Brain Electromagnetic Activity During the Administration of the Gaseous Anesthetic Agents Xenon and Nitrous Oxide in Healthy Volunteers
14:52

Recording Brain Electromagnetic Activity During the Administration of the Gaseous Anesthetic Agents Xenon and Nitrous Oxide in Healthy Volunteers

Published on: January 13, 2018

[Anesthesia awareness].

Víctor Luengo J1, Carola Zapata P, Alejandro Delfino

  • 1Unidad de Enlace y Medicina Psicosomática, Departamento de Psiquiatría, Facultad de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile.

Revista Medica De Chile
|June 18, 2010
PubMed
Summary

This article examines the rare but serious event where patients regain consciousness during surgery. It discusses how often this happens, the psychological trauma it can cause, and the link to post-traumatic stress disorder. The review highlights the importance of understanding this phenomenon for patient care.

Keywords:
general anesthesiaperioperative carepsychological traumasedation depth

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Area of Science:

  • Anesthesia awareness clinical outcomes research within anesthesiology
  • Traumatic stress psychology in perioperative medicine

Background:

No prior work had fully synthesized the psychological burden of unintended intra-operative consciousness. This gap motivated a comprehensive look at how patients experience waking during surgical procedures. It was already known that insufficient sedation levels lead to this rare event. That uncertainty drove researchers to quantify the global frequency of such occurrences. Prior research has shown that these events mirror the severity of other major life traumas. The literature indicates that many individuals suffer long-term mental health consequences afterward. No prior work had resolved the exact prevalence of post-traumatic stress symptoms in this specific population. This review addresses the clinical reality of patients who remain awake while under general anesthesia.

Purpose Of The Study:

The aim of this paper is to review the main issues surrounding the phenomenon of unintended intra-operative consciousness. This study seeks to clarify the frequency at which patients regain awareness during general anesthesia. The researchers intend to document the severe psychological consequences that follow such traumatic surgical experiences. This work addresses the lack of public and clinical awareness regarding the long-term mental health effects. The authors aim to compare the impact of this event to other recognized forms of severe trauma. This study explores the relationship between insufficient sedation and the development of post-traumatic stress symptoms. The motivation for this review is to provide a clear synthesis of existing international data on this topic. This paper serves to highlight the importance of recognizing the potential for consciousness during surgical procedures.

Main Methods:

The authors conducted a systematic review of existing literature regarding unintended consciousness during surgical procedures. This review approach involved synthesizing data from various international studies to determine global frequency rates. The investigators examined clinical reports to identify the psychological outcomes associated with this rare event. This review approach prioritized peer-reviewed evidence to ensure the accuracy of the reported prevalence statistics. The team analyzed the correlation between surgical awareness and the development of post-traumatic stress symptoms. This review approach utilized a structured method to compare the severity of this experience with other known traumatic events. The researchers evaluated the current understanding of sedation management to contextualize the occurrence of consciousness. This review approach provided a comprehensive overview of the main issues surrounding this surgical complication.

Main Results:

Key findings from the literature indicate that the global incidence of unintended consciousness ranges from 0.1% to 0.2%. The researchers report that the psychological impact of this event is severe and comparable to other major traumas. Key findings from the literature show that up to 50% of affected patients exhibit symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. The authors demonstrate that this phenomenon occurs specifically when anesthetic or analgesic levels are insufficient. Key findings from the literature reveal that the experience is as damaging as sexual abuse or natural disasters. The data suggest that the prevalence of psychological distress is high among those who wake during operations. Key findings from the literature confirm that this complication is a recognized risk in general anesthesia. The authors establish that the mental health burden is a critical aspect of this surgical phenomenon.

Conclusions:

The authors synthesize evidence indicating that unintended consciousness during surgery remains a significant clinical concern. Synthesis and implications suggest that the psychological impact is comparable to other severe traumatic life events. The literature confirms that a substantial portion of affected individuals develop symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. Synthesis and implications highlight that up to half of these patients may experience such lasting mental health challenges. The authors conclude that awareness during procedures is a rare but profoundly damaging phenomenon. Synthesis and implications emphasize the need for continued vigilance regarding sedation depth during operations. The researchers propose that recognizing this risk is vital for improving patient outcomes. Synthesis and implications underscore the necessity of addressing both physical and psychological recovery after such traumatic surgical experiences.

The researchers propose that this event occurs when patients receive insufficient levels of general anesthetic or analgesic agents. This lack of sedation allows for unintended consciousness while the individual is on the operating table during a surgical procedure.

The authors identify this as unintended intra-operative awareness. This concept refers to the specific state where a patient regains consciousness despite being under general anesthesia for a surgical operation.

The authors indicate that this state is necessary when the depth of anesthesia is inadequate to prevent consciousness. Maintaining sufficient anesthetic levels is required to ensure the patient remains unconscious throughout the entire duration of the surgical intervention.

The researchers utilize global incidence data to characterize the frequency of this event. These statistics demonstrate that the phenomenon occurs in approximately 0.1% to 0.2% of surgical cases worldwide.

The authors measure the prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms among affected individuals. They report that up to 50% of patients who experience this awareness may develop symptoms consistent with this psychological condition.

The researchers propose that the psychological consequences are as severe as those resulting from natural disasters or violent assaults. They suggest that clinicians must acknowledge the profound trauma associated with this surgical complication.