Current trends in anaesthesia monitoring: a survey study

Abstract

Objective: This study aims to evaluate the use of anaesthesia depth, nociception, and neuromuscular blockade monitoring among Turkish anaesthesiologists, exploring the frequency of their use, the devices employed, and the barriers to their routine adoption in clinical practice.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 62 anaesthesiologists attending a symposium in İstanbul, Türkiye. Participants were asked about their monitoring practices, devices used, and reasons for not consistently using these technologies. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and subgroup comparisons based on professional title and hospital type.

Results: Anaesthesia depth monitoring was frequently used by only 37.1% of participants, with cost and availability as major barriers. Nociception monitoring was more commonly used (72.1% frequently) but still faced challenges such as cost and device unavailability. Neuromuscular blockade monitoring was the least used; with 24.2% of respondents never using it. There were no significant differences in responses based on professional title or hospital type.

Conclusion: The study highlights significant variability in the use of advanced monitoring technologies. Barriers such as cost, device unavailability, and reliance on alternative methods hinder their widespread adoption. Addressing these barriers could enhance patient safety and improve perioperative outcomes through more consistent use of monitoring tools.