Prevalence of Pre-Operative Anxiety and Predictors among Elective Surgical Patients and Their Pre-Operative Hemodynamic Changes at Muhimbili National Hospital

Abstract

Background: Surgery is a traumatic process that may subject patients to physiological and psychological responses leading to pre and post-operative effects. Preoperative anxiety, if severe may be associated with several complications including cancellation of surgery, poor intra- and post-operative analgesic control, altered post-operative healing, and longer hospital stays to mention a few. Objective: The main purpose was to determine the prevalence and predictors of pre-operative anxiety among elective surgical patients and their hemodynamic changes in these patients in the Surgical department in MNH. Methodology: This was a prospective descriptive and analytical study performed at MNH which involved patients admitted for elective surgical procedures from June 2021 to February 2022. Information was gathered in a structured questionnaire along with APAIS scores. Results: 169 patients for elective surgery in General Surgery and Urology units were included in the study. Among them, 94 males and 74 females. The overall pre-operative anxiety was 11.8%, 80.5% had moderate to severe Information-Related anxiety, while 26% and 17.2% had moderate-to-severe surgery-related and anesthesia-related types of anxiety respectively. Conclusion: Pre-operative anxiety was comparatively lower in our settings as well no factor was found with a significant relation to pre-operative anxiety, hence further and broader evaluation is recommended to result in the assessment and management of patients before elective surgery.