Recollection of dreams after short general anaesthesia: influence on patient anxiety and satisfaction.
OBJECTIVE
We ascertained whether dreams during short general anaesthesia influence subsequent patient satisfaction and anxiety.


METHODS
Fifty female patients were randomized into two groups to test for a difference between intravenous and inhalational anaesthesias. In Group Propo, anaesthesia was induced and maintained with propofol; in Group Metho-Iso, anaesthesia was induced with methohexital and maintained with isoflurane. Satisfaction and anxiety with anaesthesia were evaluated using a visual analogue scale from 0 to 100. Dream incidence rate, satisfaction and anxiety were assessed from immediately after waking until 3 months later.


RESULTS
Seventeen patients (34%) dreamed during anaesthesia. There were no significant differences in satisfaction or anxiety after anaesthesia between the dreaming and non-dreaming patients (satisfaction, 92.3 +/- 21.6 versus 92.1 +/- 21.6; anxiety, 21.1 +/- 21.1 versus 30.3 +/- 32.1), or between Group Propo and Group Metho-Iso (satisfaction, 94.4 +/- 19.3 versus 90.0 +/- 23.4; anxiety, 26.0 +/- 27.6 versus 28.4 +/- 30.7). There was no significant difference in the incidence rate of dreaming with the type of anaesthesia used (Group Propo, 11 patients; Group Metho-Iso, 6 patients).


CONCLUSIONS
Dreaming during general anaesthesia is common but does not influence satisfaction or anxiety after anaesthesia.
Hellwagner
K
K
University of Vienna, Department of Anaesthesia and General Intensive Care (A & B), Vienna, Austria. klaus.hellwagner@univie.ac.at
Holzer
A
A
Gustorff
B
B
Schroegendorfer
K
K
Greher
M
M
Weindlmayr-Goettel
M
M
Saletu
B
B
Lackner
F X
FX
D000328:Adult; D000758:Anesthesia; D018686:Anesthetics, Intravenous / Q000097:blood; D001007:Anxiety / Q000523:psychology*; D004325:Dreams / Q000523:psychology*; D004569:Electroencephalography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011939:Mental Recall; D008875:Middle Aged; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D015742:Propofol / Q000097:blood
D018686:Anesthetics, Intravenous; D015742:Propofol