Spinal Anaesthesia and Perioperative Anxiety.

Objective: Anxiety is a pathological condition with a feeling of fear accompanied by somatic symptoms due to hyperactivity of the autonomic nervous system. In this study, we aimed to compare perioperative anxiety status and the effects of age, gender, educational status, and The American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status classification (ASA) score on perioperative anxiety in patients undergoing elective surgery under spinal anaesthesia.

Methods: After IRB approval and signed informed consent, 100 healthy patients undergoing elective surgery under spinal anaesthesia were enrolled. The demographic data of patients and ASA scores were recorded. After spinal anaesthesia, State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) and anxiety levels were measured.

Results: The mean anxiety score in patients undergoing surgery under spinal anaesthesia indicate the presence of an intermediate level of anxiety (44.58±19.06). A statistically significant positive correlation was found between anxiety scores and age of patients with increased age (p<0.01). Statistically significant differences were found between anxiety scores of patients according to gender, and women's anxiety scores were found to be significantly higher than in men (p<0.05). Anxiety scores did not differ significantly between education levels. A statistically significant difference was found between anxiety scores regarding ASA scores (p<0.05). Evaluation of patients revealed that the anxiety score of patients with ASA score 1 was significantly higher than the anxiety score of patients with ASA score 2. There was no significant difference between anxiety score of patients with ASA scores 2 and 3.

Conclusion: There is a mid-level anxiety, associated more with advanced age, female gender, and low ASA score, in patients undergoing elective surgery under spinal anaesthesia.