Presumption of insensibility during general anaesthesia.
British Journal of Anaesthesia November 4, 2022 DOI: 10.1016/j.bja.2022.09.010 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Commentary Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Keywords | Upper extremity Humans Anesthetics Anesthesia, general Neuromuscular blockade Female Young adult Consciousness General anaesthesia Qualia Isolated forearm technique Cognitive–motor dissociation |
| Key points | The commentary highlights that 11% of young adults responded to auditory commands under general anaesthesia when neuromuscular blocking drugs were prevented from reaching one arm via the isolated forearm technique, a rate significantly higher in women than men. The author argues this incidence demands attention and that further characterisation of these experiences is essential to understanding general anaesthesia. |
Abstract
Whilst the general presumption of the public is that general anaesthesia prevents awareness of any sensory stimuli, Lennertz and colleagues have shown in this issue of the British Journal of Anaesthesia that 11% of young adults were able to respond to auditory commands when neuromuscular blocking drugs were prevented from reaching one arm using the isolated forearm technique. This occurred with anaesthetic regimens that followed usual clinical practice in each of the 10 countries that enrolled patients, and it was significantly more common in women than in men. This high incidence demands attention. Further characterisation of the experience of these patients is essential to our understanding of the state of general anaesthesia.