First-Trimester Surgical Abortion Increasing the Incidence of Dreaming

Abstract

Purpose: To investigate the effect of various organ-specific procedures on the incidence of dreaming, the content of the dream, and patient satisfaction during propofol short sedation. Methods: A total of 100 female patients presenting for elective upper gastrointestinal endoscopy (group I) and 100 female patients presenting for first-trimester surgical abortion (group II) were allocated into 2 groups with propofol sedation. Patients were interviewed immediately after they emerged from sedation using the modified Brice questionnaire. If dreaming was reported, the dreamers were immediately asked to complete a 5-point Likert scale regarding the dream. The dream content, the recovery time, and satisfaction were also assessed. Results: A total of 200 patients were included in this analysis with complete data. The incidence of dreaming was 18% in group I and 33% in group II (P<0.05), despite a similar recovery time. Most dreams were simple, meaningful, and had no significant sexual content during propofol short sedation. Patient satisfaction was comparable between the 2 groups. Conclusions: Different organ of genital atrium and gastrointestinal tract-specific procedures could affect the incidence of dreaming intrasedation. First-trimester surgical abortion did increase the incidence of dreaming during propofol short sedation. Most dreams were simple, with no significant sexual content and no influence on patients’ satisfaction. Propofol is a satisfactory short hypnotic drug for patients undergoing first-trimester surgical abortion.