EFFECT OF ANXIETY ON THE RATE OF GASTRIC-EMPTYING OF LIQUIDS

The efficacy ol: preoperative fasting is reduced in the presence of an y factor which delays gastric emptying. We examined the association be tween anxiety and gastric emptying in adult patients undergoing electi ve surgery. Immediately before operation, 21 patients completed both a Spielberger state trait inventory (used to quantify current anxiety s tate (STAI(s)) and anxiety predisposition (STAI(t))), and the Amsterda m preoperative anxiety and information scale (used to quantify anxiety and need for information). Gastric emptying was measured using the pa racetamol absorption technique. Four to 10 weeks later, gastric emptyi ng and STAI were measured again. Patients were more anxious before tha n after operation (STAI(s)=mean 35.4 (SD 10.9) and 25 (4.1), respectiv ely; P=0.0004). Neither anxiety state (P=0.40) nor measures of anxiety relative to anxiety predisposition (P=0.86) influenced gastric emptyi ng (as measured by area under the paracetamol absorption-time curve). This contrasts with previous findings that anxiety in patients with lo w anxiety predisposition scores delays gastric emptying.