Increases in bispectral index lead to interventions that prevent possible intraoperative awareness.

In this case a woman underwent a cervical laminectomy with a total i.v. anaesthesia technique and during her care two problems occurred with propofol delivery. In both cases, bispectral index increases alerted caregivers to the decreased propofol delivery and allowed them to make corrections in a manner timely enough to prevent the occurrence of awareness during anaesthesia. The case illustrates how intraoperative processed electroencephalographic monitoring may decrease the incidence of recall of awareness following surgery.