Predictive Factors of Preoperative Anxiety in the Anesthesia Clinic: A Survey of 231 Surgical Candidates

Abstract

Background: Despite the growing advancements of surgical and anesthetic techniques resulting in decreased morbidity and mortality, the period before surgery remains stressful for most patients. Considering the adverse effect of preoperative anxiety on anesthesia and surgery outcomes, we conducted this study to evaluate the level of anxiety in the anesthesia clinic among Iranian patients undergoing surgery and also to determine its associated factors.
 Methods: This was a cross-sectional study performed on 231 patients admitted to the anesthesia clinic of Imam Khomeini hospital, Tehran, Iran. Data were collected by using a three-part questionnaire consisting of demographic data, clinical findings and the translated version of Spielberger state-trait anxiety inventory (STAI). Chi-square test and binary logistic regression model were performed for univariate and multivariate analysis, respectively. A p-value< 0.05 was considered statistically significant.
 Results: The mean (SD) score for state and trait anxiety were 39.8 (13.4) and 36.5 (12.2), respectively. A significant association was seen between state anxiety and age, gender, occupation, level of education, marital status, patients’ awareness of type of anesthesia and patients’ awareness of anesthesia adverse events (p< 0.05). The most predictive factors for state anxiety were age, patients’ awareness of anesthesia adverse events and female gender, and for trait anxiety these factors were age, place of residence and female gender.
 Conclusion: Screening for anxiety and identifying individuals vulnerable to preoperative anxiety (e.g. younger patients, females…) can help reduce undesirable surgery outcomes and their economic burden on the healthcare system.

<p>Preoperative Anxiety and Associated Factors Among Adult Elective Surgery Patients in North Wollo Zone, Northeast Ethiopia</p>

“…This result indicated that approximately half of the patients scheduled for elective surgery experienced high level of preoperative anxiety. The result of this study was in line with studies conducted in Iran 47%, 23 Nigeria 51%, 10 and in southern Ethiopia 47%. 19 However, the result of this study was lower than the studies done in Pakistan 62%, 24 Brazil 53%, 15 Tunisia 67.5%, 25 and Rwanda 72.8%.…”

Preoperative anxiety in Ethiopia: a systematic review and meta-analysis

“…The current finding is higher than the study from China [21], Saudi Arabia [22], India [13] and Iran [9].…”

“…In the preoperative period anxiety can lead to an unstable hemodynamic status [9]. Studies have shown that preoperative anxiety causes suppression of the immune system [10].…”

Global Prevalence and determinants of preoperative anxiety among surgical patients: A systematic review and Meta-analysis

“…The Meta-Analysis revealed that the prevalence of preoperative anxiety was the highest in the obstetric patient(27) followed by other major surgical (11,16,21,30,35,36,38,67,69) and cardiac surgery patients (7,26) while the lowest was seen in cancer patients (25,32,(71)(72)(73). These variations can be explained by two lives in the obstetric patient, a small number of included studies, and inclusion of heterogeneous groups in studies with all surgical patients.…”