PREOPERATIVE ANXIETY - EFFECT OF EARLY OR LATE POSITION ON THE OPERATING LIST

The influence of the relative position on the operating list on pre-op erative anxiety was studied in 60 adult female ASA 1 patients undergoi ng major surgery. Thirty patients were placed first on the operating l ist (group 1) and 30 were given a time 4-5 h later (group 2). Each pat ient was visited on the evening prior to surgery and again on the morn ing of surgery. Anxiety was measured at each visit by objective criter ia and part 1 of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory questionnaire. The pulse rate, systolic blood pressure and the State-Trait Anxiety Invent ory questionnaire scores were higher on the second visit than on the f irst (p<0.001) in all patients. This increase was greater in group 2 t han in group 1 (p<0.05). The evening anxiety scores were not correlate d with those on the morning visit and could not predict them.