[Caregivers and patient's anxiety level during cardiac catheterization]

This exploratory and quantitative study aimed to identify the anxiety level of 40 caregivers and 40 patients before cardiac catheterization and to establish a correlation among them and with sociodemographic variables, by means of the Anxiety-State Scale (IDATE). It was concluded that most of the patients present low anxiety levels, while most caregivers demonstrate medium levels of anxiety. No statistical correlation was found between anxiety levels and sociodemographic variables in the correlation analysis. In a comparative analysis, we observed that male caregivers are more anxious than female ones. Nursing interventions during this period can be more efficient if they include actions to reduce anxiety among family members/caregivers.