Dr Chuah Pea Ching

Moderator: Dr Nabilah Binti Abdul Ghani

4 July 2025

Objectives

1. Define awareness during anaesthesia
2. Discuss incidence and types
3. Identify risk factors and consequences
4. Review monitoring and prevention strategies

Learning Points:

• Accidental awareness during anaesthesia is a rare but serious event, often preventable through vigilant monitoring, proper technique, and communication, with significant psychological and medicolegal consequences
• Recognise High-Risk Situations
• Consent Matters
• Monitoring is essential
• Proper airway & induction strategy
• Obstetrics population management are unique
• Use adequate induction agents and avoid delayed volatile administration.
• Maintain uterine tone with uterotonics to allow sufficient volatile agent concentration
• Drug safety is paramount 

Summary:

• Accidental awareness during anaesthesia (AAGA) is a rare but preventable complication that occurs when patients become conscious during general anaesthesia, often due to human error or inadequate monitoring, and carries significant psychological and medicolegal implications

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