The Silent Guardian of Operating Room Patients' Knowledge and Perception About Anesthesia and Anesthetists at a Tertiary Care Hospital: Patients’ Knowledge and Perception of Anesthesia at a Tertiary Hospital

Abdullah Abdul Ghani; Syed Muhammad Abbas; Naila Naeem; Sagar Khurana; Muhammad Qamar Abbas; Syed Wahaj Uddin

doi:10.54393/pjhs.v7i4.3741

Authors

Abdullah Abdul Ghani Department of Anesthesia, Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation, Karachi, Pakistan
Syed Muhammad Abbas Department of Anesthesia, Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation, Karachi, Pakistan
Naila Naeem Department of Anesthesia, Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation, Karachi, Pakistan
Sagar Khurana Department of Anesthesia, Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation, Karachi, Pakistan
Muhammad Qamar Abbas Department of Anesthesia, Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation, Karachi, Pakistan
Syed Wahaj Uddin Department of Anesthesia, Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation, Karachi, Pakistan

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.54393/pjhs.v7i4.3741

Keywords:

Anesthesia, Anesthesiologist, Patient Knowledge, Perception

Abstract

The role of anesthesiologists in perioperative care is significant, but it is frequently neglected. The knowledge and perception of anesthesia and anesthesiologists can play a major role in influencing the experience and collaboration of patients during the perioperative period. Objective: To evaluate the level of knowledge and perceptions toward anesthesia and the role of anesthesiologists among patients. Methods: It was a cross-sectional study that was conducted from December 2025 to January 2026 at Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation (SIUT) in Karachi. Non-probability consecutive sampling was applied to select the sample of 312 patients planned to receive elective surgery. The intrusion was collected by the face-to-face interview using a structured questionnaire that included demographic information and some specific questions that measured knowledge and perception. The analysis of the data was done with SPSS 25. Associations were determined using the chi-square test, and a p-value ≤ 0.05 was regarded as significant. Results: According to the research, 58.3% of the participants showed good knowledge, and 65.4% had a positive perception of anesthesiologists. The residence (p=0.021) and education level (p<0.001) were significantly related to knowledge status. Patients administered general anesthesia had a much better positive perception as compared to those administered with local anesthesia or regional anesthesia (p=0.041). Conclusions: The general knowledge and perception turned out to be satisfactory, but there are still significant misunderstandings, especially in terms of the nature of the work of anesthesiologists.

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