Presumption of insensibility during general anaesthesia

Whilst the general presumption of the public is that general anaesthesia prevents awareness of any sensory stimuli, Lennertz and colleagues have shown in this issue of the British Journal of Anaesthesia that 11% of young adults were able to respond to auditory commands when neuromuscular blocking drugs were prevented from reaching one arm using the isolated forearm technique. This occurred with anaesthetic regimens that followed usual clinical practice in each of the 10 countries that enrolled patients, and it was significantly more common in women than in men. This high incidence demands attention. Further characterisation of the experience of these patients is essential to our understanding of the state of general anaesthesia.

Automated summary

A study has found that 11% of young adults were able to respond to auditory commands when neuromuscular blocking drugs were prevented from reaching one arm using the isolated forearm technique. This occurrence was common in both male and female patients who underwent anesthesia following usual clinical practice in 10 countries, but it was significantly more common in women. Further understanding of the experiences of these patients is crucial for our understanding of the state of general anesthesia.