Preoperative anxiety related to either anesthesia or surgery remains for many patients a major subject of concern.

Evaluation of preoperative anxiety in patients undergoing surgery.

Our study is transversal and analytical. It was conducted among 50 patients admitted to the surgical unit of CHU Habib Bourguiba in Sfax (Tunisia). The screening tool for the preoperative anxiety was the ‘Inventory self-assessment of State-Trait Anxiety” (STAI-Y) and the ‘Amesterdam Preoperative Anxiety and Information Scale” (APAIS).

Using the STAI scale reveal a moderate to severe level of anxiety “state” in 26% of cases and a moderate to severe level of anxiety “trait” in 18% of patients. While, by the application of the APAIS scale, preoperative anxiety was detected in 44% of our patients; it was fairly linked to surgery and anesthesia. In our sample, 40% had expressed a means to intense desire for information about anesthesia and surgery. A high score of anxiety was correlated with general anesthesia (p=0.016) and low level of information (p=0.006). A moderate to severe level of anxiety “state” was correlated with low socioeconomic level (p = 0.03), heaviness of the surgery (p = 0.02) and a moderate to severe level of anxiety ‘trait” (p = 0.026).

Our study confirms the concerns of patients regarding both anesthesia and the surgery and highlights the problem of lack of preparatory information. Thus, collaboration between the surgeon and the anesthetist during the preparatory stage is indispensable to decrease the level of preoperative anxiety.