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Preoperative anxiety: detection and contributing factors.
N H Badner1, W R Nielson, S Munk
1Department of Anaesthesia, University Hospital, London, Ontario, Canada.
Summary
Preoperative anxiety levels remain consistent from the day before surgery until immediately before anesthesia. Anesthetists are poor at detecting patient anxiety unless they directly inquire about it.
Area of Science:
- Anesthesiology
- Psychology
Background:
- Preoperative anxiety is a common concern for surgical patients.
- Understanding anxiety fluctuations and detection is crucial for patient care.
Purpose of the Study:
- To correlate anxiety levels the night before surgery with those immediately preoperatively.
- To assess anesthetists' ability to detect preoperative anxiety.
- To identify factors influencing preoperative anxiety.
Main Methods:
- Objective anxiety measurement using Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) and Multiple Affect Adjective Check List (MAACL).
Main Results:
- Anxiety levels remained constant from the afternoon before surgery to the immediate preoperative period.
- Anxiety was higher in females and patients without prior anesthesia.
- Anesthetists demonstrated poor anxiety assessment skills without direct patient questioning.
Conclusions:
- Preoperative anxiety is stable in the hours leading up to surgery.
- Anesthetists require specific inquiry to accurately gauge patient anxiety.
- Identifying at-risk patient groups (females, first-time anesthesia patients) is important.