General anesthesia is more akin to going into a "reversible coma" than going to sleep, a Boston anesthesiologist argues in the Dec. 30, 2010 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, according to a Boston Globe report.
Emery Brown, MD, of Massachusetts General Hospital and his colleagues say providers should be honest with patients about the reality of general anesthesia. They also hope to open a dialogue among physicians, since many branches of medicine could benefit from insight into anesthesia provision and drug administration.
The researchers compared general anesthesia to sleep and saw a substantial difference in EEG patterns depending on whether the patient was sleeping or under general anesthesia. They also noted similarities between patients emerging from general anesthesia or recovering from a coma.
Read the Boston Globe report on general anesthesia.
Read more on anesthesia:
-10 Most Read Anesthesia News Stories of 2010
-4 Tips on Difficult Airway Management
-IOM Report Urges Policymakers to Let Nurses Expand Their Roles
Emery Brown, MD, of Massachusetts General Hospital and his colleagues say providers should be honest with patients about the reality of general anesthesia. They also hope to open a dialogue among physicians, since many branches of medicine could benefit from insight into anesthesia provision and drug administration.
The researchers compared general anesthesia to sleep and saw a substantial difference in EEG patterns depending on whether the patient was sleeping or under general anesthesia. They also noted similarities between patients emerging from general anesthesia or recovering from a coma.
Read the Boston Globe report on general anesthesia.
Read more on anesthesia:
-10 Most Read Anesthesia News Stories of 2010
-4 Tips on Difficult Airway Management
-IOM Report Urges Policymakers to Let Nurses Expand Their Roles