Recognition of words presented during general anaesthesia

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Abstract
Occasionally, patients report memories (‘awareness’) for events occurring during anaesthesia. The experience can be disturbing for both patient and anaesthetist. The present study confirms that anaesthetized patients can retain a weak memory for auditory information presented during the period when they were apparently unconscious. Patients who were played a ten-word stimulus list performed significantly better in subsequently correctly detecting those stimuli in a 40-word test list than did a control group who heard a tape of radio static. Retention was apparent only by the recognition test, indicating that reliance upon patients' spontaneous recall underestimates the potential for retention, and hence the frequency of awareness itself. The results support those who advocate the use of ear plugs or other devices to prevent patients from hearing, and perhaps remembering, disquieting information during surgery.

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