Measurement of anesthetic depth has long been a subject of investigation, aiming to titrate anesthetic agents appropriately and to prevent intraoperative awareness and consciousness. Many patients undergoing surgery experience fear and anxiety regarding the possibility of remaining conscious, perceiving pain, and being unable to move during anesthesia. Intraoperative awareness-defined as consciousness during anesthesia with explicit recall afterward-is a distressing condition that can lead to post-traumatic stress disorder.
However, aiming for excessively deep anesthesia to avoid the possibility of awareness during surgery is not recommended, as it may result in hemodynamic instability due to the effects of anesthetic agents and may impair postoperative cognitive functions, particularly in the elderly population.
Common methods used in monitoring anesthetic depth include observing sweating, lacrimation, pupillary dilation, heart rate variability, and blood pressure. However, some of these are subjective and may not always be reliable indicators.
Electroencephalogram (EEG)-based monitors such as the Bispectral Index (BIS) and the Patient State Index (PSI) offer more reliable and objective means of monitoring anesthetic depth. These monitors provide numerical values between 0 (indicating unconsciousness) and 100 (indicating full alertness) based on proprietary algorithms, offering valuable insight into the patient's anesthetic state.
"Our aim is to examine BIS and PSI values and to investigate the factors that influence these parameters."