Reducing Amniocentesis Anxiety: The Role of Pre-Procedural Video Information

BACKGROUND Patients undergoing invasive diagnostic and treatment procedures benefit from receiving educational information before the procedure. Amniocentesis can be particularly stressful for the pregnant mother, who may be concerned about the safety of the procedure for herself and the fetus. This study aimed to compare pain and anxiety levels during amniocentesis in 100 women with and without pre-procedural video-based information. MATERIAL AND METHODS The study included 100 pregnant women (50 cases, 50 controls) with a positive screening test for aneuploidy. The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) and Visual Analog Scale (VAS) were completed during their initial visit ("Pre-amniocentesis"). The case group watched a 5-minute video about amniocentesis and completed the assessments again ("Post-video"). After the procedure, both groups were reassessed ("Post-amniocentesis"). Results were compared within and between groups. RESULTS Significant differences were found in both STAI-1 and VAS scores between pre- and post-amniocentesis assessments in the case group (P<0.05 for all). However, no significant decrease were observed in the control group. The case group reported less anxiety (38.35 vs 45.25, P: 0.001), pain (16.7 vs 18.5, P: 0.125) and stress (2.18 vs 4.20, P: 0.001) scores after amniocentesis procedure compared to the control group. CONCLUSIONS Video-based education more effectively reduces anxiety and stress levels compared to traditional methods, potentially enhancing patient satisfaction.