AWARENESS OF PATIENTS REGARDING ANESTHESIA;

ATTITUDE TOWARDS BASIC TYPES OF ANESTHESIA TECHNIQUES

Abstract

… Awareness of patients regarding anesthesia & their attitude towards basic types of
anesthesia techniques. Objective: The purpose of this study was to assess the knowledge of
patients regarding anesthesia, their attitudes towards basic types of anesthesia techniques and
effect of previous experience of anesthesia on the awareness. Study design: Descriptive
observational study. Place and duration of study: This descriptive, prospective study was
conducted in the isra university hospital Hyderabad, Sindh, Pakistan from 2nd August 2013 upto
8th March 2014. Patients and Methods: Two hundred thirty one patients were included in the
study after taking verbal informed consent. All patients who were scheduled for elective surgery
were interviewed while patients who had refused from participation, have language barrier,
psychiatric disease, had lack of sufficient mental capacity due to poor health status and patients
undergoing emergency surgeries were excluded from the study. Patients were interviewed in
their local language upon arrival in the preoperative area of operation theatre. Self made
questionnaire was filled. All the data was entered on SPSS version 16. Frequency and
percentages were calculated to show the results. Mean with SD of patients age was computed.
Chi-square test was applied to assess the affect of previous experience of surgery on patient’s
knowledge regarding anesthesia. P value less than 0.05 was taken as significant. Results: Total
231 patients were included in the study. Mean age of the patients was 36 ± SD 1.01. Fifty one
(22.1%) patients were illiterate; while 54 (23.4%) patients were graduate. 103(44.6%) patients had
previous experience of surgery/ anesthesia while 128(55.4%) patients had no experience. Out of
231 patients, 111 (48.1%) patients were aware of different type of anesthesia techniques while
120(51.9%) patients were not aware. Out of 103 patients, who had previous exposure of
anesthesia, 64 patients answered correctly about different types of anesthesia techniques while
81 patients who had no previous exposure of anesthesia, answered incorrectly (P value = 0.000).
Fifty three patients who had previous exposure of anesthesia answered correctly that anesthetist
is a qualified doctor, while 62 patients answered incorrectly who had no previous exposure (P
value=0.546). Out of 231 patients, 91 (39.39%) patients were in favor of having general
anesthesia while 52(22.51%) patients were in favor of regional anesthesia, while 88(38.0%) had
left the choice on surgeon. Conclusions: Results of the study show poor knowledge of patients
regarding anesthesia and anesthesiologists. Majority of the patients were in favor of having
general anesthesia rather regional anesthesia. There is need to correct the misconceptions of
patients and to educate the public.