| Doctors Develop Protocol to Detect Patient Consciousness During Surgery |
| DAVID FERGUSON - The Raw Story |
| Waking up during surgery and yet still being too anesthetized to signal doctors that you’re awake sounds like a nightmare, and for some people is a genuine phobia. According to New Scientist, a team at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has identified a 'consciousness signature†in brain activity that can recognize when a person is waking up. In approximately .02 percent of surgeries performed worldwide, patients find themselves conscious and aware of what’s happening to them. The Associated Press reported in 2008 that approximately 30,000 Americans a year awaken during surgical procedures, sometimes experiencing intense pain and terror. The phenomenon is more common in children than adults. Keeping track of patients’ brain activity during surgery could be the solution. 'It’s slightly frightening that millions are given anaesthesia every year and the anaesthetist has no way of knowing with certainty that the patient is unconscious,†said Tony Absalom ... |
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