General hospital psychiatry
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Gen Hosp Psychiatry · Sep 1998
Letter Case ReportsCase of psychosis due to prednisone-clarithromycin interaction.
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Gen Hosp Psychiatry · Sep 1998
ReviewAwareness during anesthesia and posttraumatic stress disorder.
It has been estimated that approximately 30,000 patients a year suffer awareness or consciousness during anesthesia. This paper reviews existing knowledge of the psychological impact and psychiatric sequelae of awareness during anesthesia. Literature on awareness and memory during anesthesia, traumatic memory, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) was reviewed using computer searches, books, and referenced articles. ⋯ Waking up during anesthesia, especially if the patient experienced pain, is a traumatic event which places the patient at risk for developing PTSD. Awareness-induced PTSD must be considered for patients who present for mental health treatment following surgery. The advantages of light anesthesia must be balanced against the risk of awareness-induced PTSD.