Aspect Medical Systems (NASDAQ: ASPM) today announced that results from a prospective study of the incidence of awareness in the United States were published in the September issue of the peer-reviewed journal, Anesthesia & Analgesia. The study, known as the AIM trial, evaluated 19,576 patients and documented that awareness with recall occurs in the U.S. at a rate between one to two cases per 1,000 patients receiving general anesthesia. Awareness with recall occurs when patients do not receive enough anesthesia to remain unconscious. As a result, they may be awake during surgery, aware of what is happening and retain memory of this experience after the surgery is over. Studies show that awareness can be a traumatic experience for patients and result in the development of long-term psychological problems.
