European Journal of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences

ANESTHESIA AWARENESS: EFFECTS SEEN BETWEEN ADULTS AND CHILDREN

Asem Saefan*, Nathalie Pakbaz, Bhumika Khanna, Olivia Dix, Jasndeep Kaler

ABSTRACT

Anesthesia is a very difficult to measure due to indistinguishable brain activity between the anesthetized and the awakened.[1] Approximately 20 million individuals undergo anesthesia for various types of surgery that could bring about anesthesia awareness in which children are at a greater risk of experiencing wakefulness in comparison to adults. Anesthesia is administered with the purpose to abolish consciousness and prevent any types of motor movements, voluntary or involuntary, from occurring during the operative procedure. Anesthesia awareness is reported by patients after the procedure in terms of them having recollection of auditory or vivid visual memories of the surgery, through which they were able to visually witness everything while feeling they were unable to move. Furthermore, individuals that experience anesthesia awareness tend to be traumatized, psychologically, in a way that presents as a post-traumatic stress disorder. These individuals may experience flashbacks, nightmares, anxiety that may be generalized or be triggered in the aspect that it only occurs at specific times.

Keywords: Anesthesia, motor movements, voluntary or involuntary.