Knowledge and Awareness of Anesthesia and Its Associated Risks Among Surgical Patients: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Background: Anesthesia care is an essential part of surgical care. However, the knowledge about anesthesia as well as its risks in patients could still be considered inadequate in many health care setups. Objectives: The objective of this study was to determine the knowledge and awareness about the risks associated with anesthesia in patients admitted in the Tertiary Care Hospital in Multan. Methods: The cross-sectional study was conducted on 60 surgical patients aged above 18 years admitted in Multan City Hospital for elective surgeries. A pre-designed interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to gather data about socio-demographics, knowledge about purpose, types, and anesthesiologists’ role in anesthesia administration, as well as knowledge about the risks associated with the technique. The scoring system used for knowledge measurement was poor, fair, and good. Descriptive statistics such as proportions and inferential statistics such as chi-square tests were utilized in the study. The results described the association between adequate knowledge about the risks associated with the technique. Results: Of the total 60 patients, 30 (50%) had poor knowledge about the technique, while only 12 (20%) patients had good knowledge about the technique. The knowledge about types, role of anesthesiologists in administration, as well as the risks associated with the technique, was also inadequate in the patients. Higher education and surgical experiences were independently associated with an adequate knowledge about the technique (p < 0.05). The adjusted odds ratio indicated that patients with higher education had more than eightfold higher odds for having adequate knowledge about the technique, while surgically experienced patients had significantly better knowledge about the technique than surgically naïve ones. Conclusion: The knowledge and awareness about the risks associated with the technique in surgical patients were generally inadequate, especially in less educated patients with surgical inexperience. Therefore, efforts would be required to educate patients about the technique.