Predictors of Preoperative Anxiety

Hospitalization and surgery are critical negative life events that lead to the experience of considerable anxiety in patients. Patients may perceive the day of surgery as the biggest and the most threatening day in their lives. Preoperative anxiety is an unpleasant state of uneasiness or tension secondary to disease, hospitalization, the planned use of anesthesia and surgery. It begins as soon as the surgical procedure is scheduled and increases to maximal intensity at the moment of entering the theater. High preoperative anxiety levels can lead to increased postoperative analgesic requirement, prolonged hospital stay, significant contribution to adverse perioperative outcome and poor patient satisfaction. It is associated with problems such as difficult venous access, delayed jaw relaxation and coughing during induction of anesthesia, autonomic fluctuations,and increased anesthetic requirement.