Perception about anaesthesia and anaesthesiologists among non-medical graduate professionals

Abstract

A total of 91.4% of respondents was aware of the specialty; 54.3% had a source of information through self-acquired knowledge. Only 2.9% were aware of regional anaesthesia, and therefore, the majority preferred general anaesthesia. In total, 51.4% expressed a fear of not waking up due to an anaesthetic overdose. The majority (31.4%) perceived the surgeon as the doctor responsible for providing postoperative pain relief and performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Conclusion:Lack of knowledge still exists among the general public about anaesthesiology as a speciality and the role of anaesthesiologists. There is a need for regular, ongoing educational programmes to keep up with developments in the field to avoid resurgence of misconceptions. In the present digital era, electronic media needs to be utilised effectively in eliminating the misconceptions that are still prevalent in developing countries.