Intraoperative Awareness in Patients Undergoing Cardiac Surgery in an Academic Center in the North of Iran

BACKGROUND: Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) has distinctive characteristics that may increase the risk of awareness during general anesthesia (AGA). OBJECTIVES: This study was conducted to assess the incidence of AGA in cardiac surgery in an academic hospital in Guilan, Iran. METHODS: This descriptive cross-sectional study was performed in Dr. Heshmat Hospital in Rasht, Iran. Eligible patients candidates for CABG were enrolled in the survey in 2022. After surgery, when the patient was cooperative enough, a questionnaire including demographic data and specialized questions related to different stages of anesthesia was completed via face-to-face interviews. The data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics 21 with chi-square, Fisher’s exact, and t-test. RESULTS: The data from 322 patients were analyzed, of whom 14 (4.3%) experienced AGA. Among them, the “feeling of fear and anxiety” reported by 9 (39.1%) cases was the most common awareness state. “Dreaming during surgery and anesthesia” and “feeling unable to move during anesthesia,”, each reported by 6 (26.1%) cases, were the other common types of awareness state. None of the demographic data had a significant association with the occurrence of AGA. CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of AGA during CABG was almost acceptable according to the credible evidence.