title: Recollection of dreams after short general anaesthesia: influence on patient anxiety and satisfaction.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: University of Vienna, Department of Anaesthesia and General Intensive Care (A & B), Vienna, Austria. klaus.hellwagner@univie.ac.at
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hellwagner
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Holzer
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gustorff
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Schroegendorfer
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Greher
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Weindlmayr-Goettel
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Saletu
authors.forename: F X
authors.initials: FX
authors.lastname: Lackner
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D018686:Anesthetics, Intravenous; D015742:Propofol