Direct REporting of Awareness in MaternitY patients (DREAMY)
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Direct REporting of Awareness in MaternitY patients (DREAMY): A prospective evaluation of accidental awareness under general anaesthesia in obstetric surgery patients
IRAS ID
203113
Contact name
Peter Odor
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
St. George's University of London
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
DREAMY is a multi-centre, observational study to investigate the incidence of accidental awareness under general anaesthesia (AAGA) using a direct questioning methodology in women having childbirth-related surgery. A recent national audit conducted by the Royal College of Anaesthetists (NAP5 [1]) highlighted obstetric patients as being a disproportionately high risk for AAGA. Unfortunately, the true incidence of AAGA and its downstream psychological consequences remain unclear for obstetric patients. Approximately 2% of women need to receive a general anaesthetic (GA) in order to safely deliver their babies by caesarean section or for other surgical procedures related to childbirth. In this study we will screen women post-operatively for recall of events during the GA using a set of standardised questions, known as the Brice questionnaire [2]. Women will be asked questions within 24 hours of surgery and again on the following day whilst still in hospital. They will be contacted by telephone on day 30 following the index GA to complete the questionnaire again. Any women reporting awareness will be fed into a pathway of supportive care and receive screening for evidence of psychological harm at 1, 3, 6, 9 and 12 months after surgery. Individual cases will be reviewed by an expert panel to categorise the AAGA event and identify where lessons can be learnt to improve future care for obstetric surgical patients.
1. 5th National Audit Project. RCoA and AAGBI. 2014. http://nap5.org.uk/NAP5report
2. Brice DD, Hetherington RR, Utting JE. A simple study of awareness and dreaming during anaesthesia. British Journal of Anaesthesia 1970; 42: 535-42.REC name
London - Fulham Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
17/LO/0071
Date of REC Opinion
20 Jan 2017
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion