NAP5
Fifth National Audit Project of the Royal College of Anaesthetists in collaboration with the Association of Anaesthetists of Great Britain and Ireland
NAP5: Accidental Awareness during General Anaesthesia in the United Kingdom
The topic of AAGA is important to patients and anaesthetists alike. It is an important complication of general anaesthesia and can be considered failure of anaesthesia at the most basic level. It is the second commonest topic to be raised by patients at the pre-operative meeting and it is the third commonest cause of litigation against anaesthetists in the UK, accounting for 20% of all claims. While the academic literature suggests one case of AAGA in every 600 general anaesthetics (with half of these patients developing post-traumatic stress disorder) much of this literature is old and may not reflect modern practices.
Our Aims
Our project, which began on 1st June 2012 and runs for one year, seeks to ascertain how many patients experience AAGA and to elucidate relevant risk factors. Local Coodinators (representing all UK departments of anaesthesia) are actively seeking to identify all cases reported within this one year. Local Coordinators can be contacted using our database. Our registry will, among other things, help establish if investing in technology such as expernsive depth of anaesthesia monitors is worthwhile. Our ultimate goal is to develop national strategies to prevent awareness.
Prof Jaideep Pandit is Clinical Lead for NAP5 and a Consultant in Anaesthesia at the Oxford University Hospitals. Prof Panditis working closely with Dr Tim Cook, College Advisor for National Audit Projects (NAPs) and a Consultant in Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine at the Royal United Hospital in Bath.
How to Report a Case of AAGA
If you would like to report a case of accidental awareness during anaesthesia, please contact the NAP5 Administrator at nap5@nap5.org
If you are unsure as to whether a case meets the project inclusion criteria and therefore whether it should be reported, please consult the NAP5 Moderator at moderator@nap5.org
NAP5 Secure Reporting Website: Access
Please click here to access the NAP5 reporting website.
Reporting Website: Demonstration
Please click here to view a demonstration of the reporting website before completing the form via the secure website using the link above.
Reporting Website: FAQs
Reporting website FAQs (7 KB)
NAP5 has been endorsed by all four UK CMOs:
Letter of endorsement from CMOs.pdf (46 KB)
