Awareness With Recall: A Systematic Review.

Area of Science:

• Anesthesiology
• Patient Safety
• Neuroscience

Background:

• Intraoperative awareness with recall is a serious complication causing patient distress.
• It is influenced by patient, surgical, anesthesia provider, and system factors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review the incidence, causes, and prevention of intraoperative awareness.
• To evaluate the utility and limitations of depth-of-anesthesia monitors, like the bispectral index monitor (BIS).

Main Methods:

• Systematic review of existing literature.
• Analysis of factors contributing to awareness events.
• Examination of evidence-based prevention strategies.

Main Results:

• Awareness with recall presents a continued threat to patient safety.
• Multiple factors contribute to its occurrence.
• Depth-of-anesthesia monitors and specific protocols may help prevent awareness.

Conclusions:

• Reducing intraoperative awareness requires a multifaceted approach.
• Evidence-based practices, including judicious use of muscle relaxants and protocol adherence, are crucial.
• Further research on monitoring and prevention strategies is warranted.