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Does preoperative anxiety influence gastric fluid volume and acidity?
P E Haavik1, E Søreide, B Hofstad
1Department of Anesthesiology, Ullevål Hospital, Stavanger, Norway.
Anesthesia and Analgesia
|July 1, 1992
Summary
Preoperative anxiety and benzodiazepine premedication did not significantly alter gastric volume or acidity in patients undergoing elective gynecologic surgery. These factors appear to have minimal clinical impact on gastric content in this surgical setting.
Area of Science:
- Anesthesiology
- Gastroenterology
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Preoperative anxiety is a common concern in surgical patients.
- Anxiety may influence physiological factors like gastric content.
- Understanding these effects is crucial for anesthetic management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between preoperative anxiety, benzodiazepine premedication, and gastric content.
- To determine if anxiety or premedication impacts gastric fluid volume and acidity.
- To assess clinical relevance in elective gynecologic surgery patients.
Main Methods:
- A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study.
- 246 patients received flunitrazepam, oxazepam, or placebo before surgery.
- Anxiety levels were self-assessed; gastric content (volume and pH) was analyzed.
Main Results:
- Both flunitrazepam and oxazepam effectively reduced patient anxiety compared to placebo.
- No significant correlation was found between premedication type and anxiety levels with gastric content.
- The proportion of patients with high gastric volume or low pH did not differ significantly across groups.
Conclusions:
- Peroral benzodiazepine premedication does not clinically impact gastric content in this patient population.
- Preoperative anxiety levels did not significantly affect gastric volume or acidity.
- These findings suggest current premedication strategies and anxiety management may not necessitate changes based on gastric content concerns in elective gynecologic surgery.