Nancy wrote:
> Is there any data on this particular experience either supporting the
> frequency this psychologist claimed for it (150,000 incidents
> per year) or is
> this too new, or has it been otherwise verified by anesthesiologists
> themselves who are seeking to eliminate this danger? (Skeptic
> that I am, I
> still know that stuff happens.)
I don't have the cite in front of me, Nancy, but I _do_ recall reading
some years ago about a drug in use by anestheologists that was found to
have this effect in a fairly significant number of cases. As I recall, the
drug worked as a hypnotic and amnesia inducing drug--it didn't render the
patient unconscious during surgery, but it did block later memories of the
experience--and in some cases, the "blocking" action failed. There was
even a book written about that time (by Robin Cook???) that dealt with a
similar, but more "sinister" drug that was probably based on an
exaggeration of the actual drug itself.
To the best of my knowledge, once the facts about the drug were known,
however, it was withdrawn from the market--and with one such example to
work from, it seems pretty likely that modern drugs are evaluated more
carefully on this basis as well.
Sorry I don't have the cite at hand, but hopefully someone will remember
the drug from the description and can provide the name.
Rick
--
Rick Adams
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Department of Social Sciences
Jackson Community College, Jackson, MI
"... and the only measure of your worth and your deeds
will be the love you leave behind when you're gone."
Fred Small, J.D., "Everything Possible"
