The claims of compensation for awareness with recall during general anaesthesia in Finland.

Abstract

Awareness during anaesthesia has been estimated to occur in 0.2%-0.4% of patients undergoing general surgery. In Finland, according to the Patient Injury Act, compensation is paid for an injury caused by medical treatment. We have analysed the claims for compensation involving awareness under anaesthesia filed between May, 1987 and December, 1993. Original claims, hospital notes, and expert advisor's comments as well as the comments of the anaesthesiologist in charge of the anaesthesia, and decisions of the Patient Injury Association, were reviewed. A total of 23363 claims of patient injury were made during the study period. Of these, 391 considered anaesthetic treatments, and there were four cases of awareness with recall. Claims of compensation for awareness during anaesthesia were surprisingly few, possible reasons of which are discussed. Compensations paid were low in comparison with some other countries.