About 70 percent people are worried about getting anesthetized during an outpatient visit or health exam, while 40 percent have refused a checkup or treatment because they were concerned about adverse side effects from anesthesia, a survey released yesterday by the Taiwan Society of Anesthesiologists showed.
The society last month conducted a survey to understand people’s concerns and knowledge about anesthesia, collecting more than 500 valid questionnaires from respondents aged 20 or older, said society president Yu Huang-ping (余黃平), director of Linkou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital’s Department of Anesthesiology.
Of the respondents, about 70 percent were concerned about getting anesthesia during an outpatient visit or health exam, he said, adding that 54.8 percent were worried that anesthetics could harm their organs and 54.4 percent believed that anesthesia results in a higher risk of death, he said.
Photo: CNA
The respondents’ three most common concerns were that they would not wake up after being anesthetized (37.2 percent), would have a bad adverse reaction (36.8 percent) and would wake up during surgery (33 percent), Yu said.
About 40 percent of the respondents had refused a checkup or treatment for fear of potential side effects from anesthesia, he said.
Of those who had received anesthesia, 67 percent did not know the name of the anesthesiologist involved, Yu said, adding that the public’s knowledge about anesthesia is limited.
Society managing supervisor Liaw Wen-jinn (廖文進), an anesthesiologist at Chung Shan Medical University Hospital, said that elderly people, people with multiple chronic health conditions, severely obese people, people with snoring and sleep apnea syndrome, and people with poor kidney function might be more at risk of experiencing side effects from anesthesia.
To reduce the risk to their health from anesthesia and ensure they are more comfortable about the procedure, people should ensure they know the name of their anesthesiologist, learn what type of anesthetic is to be used, and check whether the hospital plans to use anesthesia monitoring equipment during the procedure, he said.
People are also encouraged to consult with their anesthesiologist and voice their concerns, so that the anesthesiologist can customize the types of anesthetics used and dosages, and explain the possible side effects, Liaw said.
However, with new advances in anesthetics, most people can safely be anesthetized with proper monitoring, he added.
The society said that people should fully communicate their health issues to their anesthesiologist, check whether the anesthesiologist’s name is on the anesthesia consent form before the procedure, try to relax and cooperate with the medical team during the procedure, and be alert to any possible side effects after the procedure.
REPORT: Taipei has expressed an interest in obtaining loitering munitions matching the AeroVironment Switchblade 300 or the Anduril Altius-600, ‘Foreign Policy’ said Taiwan is seeking US-made kamikaze drones in an apparent concession to pressure from Washington to focus on asymmetric capabilities to defeat or deter a Chinese attack, Foreign Policy said in a report on Wednesday. Taipei has expressed an interest in obtaining AeroVironment Switchblade loitering munitions or other devices with similar capabilities, it said, citing four sources familiar with the matter commenting on condition of anonymity. The Switchblade 300 is a tube-launched drone designed for attacking ground troops, while its larger sibling, the Switchblade 600, could be used to destroy tanks and entrenched troops. Ukraine has utilized both systems extensively in its fight against
Police officers yesterday morning apprehended the prime suspect of a triple homicide case, after raiding the suspect’s hideout in Taichung. They transported the suspect to New Taipei City for questioning and recorded his statement last night. The suspect, identified as a 24-year-old man surnamed Chang (張), is believed to have used his hands to strangle his wife, surnamed Chen (陳), 29, along with his three-year-old son from a previous marriage and his wife’s mother, 69. The three dead bodies were wrapped in blankets when they were discovered inside their apartment in New Taipei City’s Sanchong District (三重) on Saturday. Chang was holding a
Hungarian Member of Parliament Tompos Marton said he considers Taiwan to be a better alternative to China as a strategic partner. Marton, who is the vice president of the opposition Momentum Party, made the remarks in an interview with the Central News Agency on Sunday. He draped a Republic of China flag across his shoulders to protest Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) visit to the capital city, Budapest, on Thursday last week, and openly voiced support for Taiwan on social media. He said in the interview that he wanted to remind the world that there were alternatives to China, and that “Taiwan has
A female physician at New Taipei City’s Shuang Ho Hospital was bullied and made to work for 32 consecutive hours by a senior colleague while pregnant before later having a miscarriage, an internal investigation found, the hospital said on Monday. The perpetrator has been removed from his post, the hospital said. The attending physician in the hospital’s Medical Imaging Department, identified by the pseudonym Y, earlier on Monday told reporters that she had been bullied by a male senior colleague who arranged shifts in her department. In January, shortly after she became pregnant, Y asked the department director if she could avoid overnight