Be wary of awareness – lessons from NAP5 for obstetric anaesthetists

• NAP5 indicates that accidental awareness during anaesthesia for caesarean sections remains high when compared to non-obstetric procedures.
• Awareness tends to be short-lived and associated with the period surrounding induction and the start of surgery.
• Factors which delay the onset of delivery of an adequate partial pressure of volatile agent after intravenous induction probably increase the risk of accidental awareness.