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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 Spinal Anesthesia01:11

Local Anesthetics: Clinical Application as Spinal Anesthesia

Spinal anesthetics are given during lower abdomen and limb surgeries to block sensory and motor neurons. They are administered in the mid to low lumbar regions, primarily acting on the cauda equina's nerve roots. The blockade level depends on the local anesthetic (LA) concentration. Usually, low LA concentrations are sufficient to block sensory fibers, while only high LA concentrations block motor fibers. Other factors like injection volume and speed, the patient's posture, and the drug...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 10, 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

Awareness during anesthesia: a problem without solutions?

K Leslie1, A J Davidson

  • 1Department of Anaesthesia and Pain Management, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Department of Pharmacology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia. kate.leslie@mh.org.au

Minerva Anestesiologica
|July 28, 2010
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Anesthesia awareness, though rare, affects up to 1% of patients, particularly women during cesarean sections and children. Bispectral index monitoring shows promise in reducing awareness incidence in high-risk individuals.

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Area of Science:

  • Anesthesiology
  • Neuroscience
  • Patient Safety

Background:

  • Anesthesia awareness is a recognized complication during surgical procedures.
  • Recent research highlights varying incidence rates, with some studies reporting higher occurrences.
  • Specific patient populations, including women undergoing cesarean sections and children, show increased risk.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review recent publications on anesthesia awareness.
  • To assess the current state of awareness prevention strategies.
  • To determine if anesthesia awareness is a solvable problem.

Main Methods:

  • Review of recent scientific literature and benchmark studies on anesthesia awareness.
  • Analysis of incidence rates from various global studies.
  • Evaluation of evidence for prevention strategies, including bispectral index monitoring.

Main Results:

  • Reported incidence of anesthesia awareness varies, with benchmark studies at 0.1% and recent studies showing 1% and 0.4%.
  • Higher incidence observed in women undergoing cesarean sections (0.26%) and children (0.5-1%).
  • Bispectral index monitoring is the best current evidence-based strategy for reducing awareness in high-risk patients.

Conclusions:

  • Anesthesia awareness remains a concern, with incidence rates potentially underestimated in some populations.
  • Limited trials exist for effective prevention strategies, underscoring the need for further research.
  • Ongoing trials investigating end-tidal gas monitoring may offer alternative prevention methods.