COMMUNITY-BASED SURVEY ON MYTHS AND MISCONCEPTIONS REGARDING ANAESTHESIA IN AHMEDABAD, GUJARAT

Background:Anaesthesia is an essential part of modern surgical practice,yet the public continues to harbour numerous myths and misconceptions about it. These beliefs can create anxiety, lead to surgical delays, and reduce trust in anaesthesia providers. Aim And Objectives: To assess the prevalence and types of myths and misconceptions regarding anaesthesia among adults in the community and to identify socio-demographic factors associated with these beliefs. Materials And Methods: A descriptive, community-based, cross-sectional survey was conducted over 6 months (January–June 2025) in urban and semi-urban areas of Ahmedabad, Gujarat. Using a multistage random sampling approach, 422 adults aged 18 years or older were interviewed using a semi-structured, pre-tested questionnaire. Data were analysed with SPSS v26 using descriptive statistics and Chi-square tests. Results: Of the 422 participants (mean age 39.2 ± 13.7 years;51.2% male),46.7% believed anaesthesia could cause long-term memory loss, 38.2% feared not waking up after anaesthesia, 41.7% believed spinal anaesthesia causes permanent paralysis, and 28.2% thought general anaesthesia is more dangerous than surgery itself. Myths were significantly more prevalent among participants with education below secondary level (p < 0.001) and in older age groups (p = 0.014). Conclusion: Misconceptions about anaesthesia remain common,particularly among less-educated individuals.Targeted community awareness campaigns involving anaesthesiologists and public health teams are needed to address these false beliefs.