Research Article
Incidence of Anesthesia Awareness: A Study in the Southern Part of the Volta Region of Ghana
Issue:
Volume 13, Issue 1, June 2025
Pages:
1-12
Received:
12 December 2024
Accepted:
25 December 2024
Published:
21 January 2025
DOI:
10.11648/j.ijacm.20251301.11
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Abstract: Background: Intraoperative awareness during anaesthesia occurs when a patient can recall some or all the events during a surgical procedure. Unintended intraoperative awareness during anaesthesia and surgery can either be determined by formally interviewing patients post-operatively or by patients reporting themselves during review. Intraoperative awareness may occur during general anaesthesia, on the operating table when the patient has not been given enough of the general anaesthetic or analgesic to render the patient unconscious during general anaesthesia. Objective: This study investigates the prevalence, causes, and risk factors of intraoperative awareness under general anaesthesia in five district hospitals in Ghana’s Volta Region. Method: Using a quantitative case study design, data were collected from 480 patients and 17 anaesthetists through close-ended questionnaires. Results: Findings reveal that while anaesthetists demonstrated strong knowledge of awareness and adherence to safety protocols (17, 100%), challenges such as inadequate monitoring devices (10, 57.1%) and limited workforce participation in call duty (17, 100%) hinder optimal practice. Key risk factors identified included light anaesthesia (15, 90.5%), with extremes of age, obesity, and genetic resistance recording 12 responses (71.4%), with light anaesthesia being the most recognized. Patient responses highlighted a general expectation of complete unconsciousness (yes=353, 73.5%), low incidences of awareness (yes=109, 22.7%), and mixed experiences with dreaming (yes=219, 45.6%), reflecting varying perceptions of anaesthetic care. Conclusion: The study underscores the need for targeted policy reforms and emphasizes standardized safety protocols, improved patient communication, and continuous professional development. Also, exploring future research could broaden geographic scopes, longitudinal outcomes, and the implementation of advanced monitoring technologies. It recommends that prioritizing increased funding for anaesthesia services in resource-limited settings could enhance monitoring capabilities, ensure proper equipment maintenance, and address workforce shortages, improving overall patient safety.
Abstract: Background: Intraoperative awareness during anaesthesia occurs when a patient can recall some or all the events during a surgical procedure. Unintended intraoperative awareness during anaesthesia and surgery can either be determined by formally interviewing patients post-operatively or by patients reporting themselves during review. Intraoperative ...
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Review Article
Observation on the Clinical Effect of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy on Postoperative Recovery of Patients with Kashin-Beck Disease in Plateau Areas After Total Knee Arthroplasty (TKA)
Zhifu Zhao*
,
Li Liu
Issue:
Volume 13, Issue 1, June 2025
Pages:
13-19
Received:
20 December 2024
Accepted:
2 January 2025
Published:
22 January 2025
Abstract: Background: When the altitude is 0 meters above sea level, the oxygen concentration in the air is approximately 21%. As the altitude increases, the oxygen concentration gradually decreases. At an altitude of 3,000 meters, the oxygen concentration in the air is about 15%. The low oxygen concentration seriously affects the recovery after knee joint surgery and is more likely to lead to postoperative complications. This study aims to explore the efficacy of hyperbaric oxygen therapy on the early postoperative recovery of patients with Kashin-Beck disease in high-altitude areas after undergoing total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Methods: The clinical data of 58 patients with Kashin-Beck Disease who were hospitalized and underwent TKA in Ruoergai County People's Hospital at an average altitude of 3,500 meters were retrospectively analyzed. According to whether hyperbaric oxygen therapy was used after surgery, they were divided into two groups: the hyperbaric oxygen group (HO group, hyperbaric oxygen therapy was administered daily from the 1st to the 7th day after surgery) and the conventional group (GO group, only normal pressure oxygen inhalation was carried out without hyperbaric oxygen therapy after surgery). Finally, a total of 56 patients were included in the study, with 22 patients in the HO group and 34 patients in the GO group, and the evaluation was carried out based on the recovery status of all selected patients at the time of discharge after surgery. Results: There was no significant difference in the general clinical data between the two groups; the overall incidence of adverse reactions after surgery in the HO group was significantly lower than that in the GO group (P<0.01); the postoperative quality of recovery score (QoR-40) of the HO group was significantly higher than that of the GO group on the 3rd, 7th, and 14th days after surgery (P<0.01); although there was no significant difference in the pain (NRS) score, knee joint score, and surgical satisfaction between the two groups at 2 hours, 12 hours, 24 hours, 48 hours, and 72 hours after surgery, the length of hospital stay in the HO group was significantly shorter than that in the GO group, and this difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). Conclusion: Hyperbaric oxygen therapy for patients with Kashin-Beck Disease in plateau areas after TKA is beneficial to the early postoperative recovery process, can reduce the incidence of postoperative complications, and shorten the length of hospital stay, which has significant clinical application value.
Abstract: Background: When the altitude is 0 meters above sea level, the oxygen concentration in the air is approximately 21%. As the altitude increases, the oxygen concentration gradually decreases. At an altitude of 3,000 meters, the oxygen concentration in the air is about 15%. The low oxygen concentration seriously affects the recovery after knee joint s...
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