Journal article

Dreaming during anaesthesia in adult patients

Kate Leslie, Hannah Skrzypek

BEST PRACTICE & RESEARCH-CLINICAL ANAESTHESIOLOGY | ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV | Published : 2007

Abstract

Dreaming during anaesthesia is defined as any recalled experience (excluding awareness) that occurred between induction of anaesthesia and the first moment of consciousness upon emergence. Dreaming is a commonly-reported side-effect of anaesthesia. The incidence is higher in patients who are interviewed immediately after anaesthesia (approximately 22%) than in those who are interviewed later (approximately 6%). A minority of dreams, which include sensory perceptions obtained during anaesthesia, provide evidence of near-miss awareness. These patients may have risk factors for awareness and this type of dreaming may be prevented by depth of anaesthesia monitoring. Most dreaming however, occurs..

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Grants

Funding Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the Douglas Joseph Professorship - a grant from the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists. Some material in this chapter formed part of a Bachelor of Medical Science thesis for the University of Melbourne.