[Patient satisfaction with anaesthesia and pre-anaesthetic information].

Background: Patient satisfaction with perioperative care plays an important role in the assessment of quality of care. Written evaluation forms are commonly used all over the world for this purpose. The aim of this study was to assess the quality of perioperative care, with special attention being directed to anaesthesia-associated side effects.

Methods: Forty-two adult patients, of both sexes, scheduled for abdominal surgery, were asked to complete a questionnaire consisting of 11 questions on anaesthesia, side effects and the general quality of perioperative care. The results were analysed using the X2 test, and p < 0.05 was considered significant. The Pearson correlation coefficient was used for comparison.

Results: There was a strong correlation between the quality of the pre-anaesthesia visit, including the information obtained on possible complications and alternative methods of anaesthesia, and the assessment of quality of the anaesthesia service. Post-anaesthesia care facilities were also found to be of major importance for patients.

Conclusions: Adequate, detailed and easily understandable information plays a crucial role in patients satisfaction with anaesthesia. Special attention should be paid to the most common side effects and complications. Residents should be trained in communication in the early stages of their training.