Preoperative Anxiety among Patients Undergoing Elective Surgery in a Tertiary Care Centre: A Descriptive Cross-sectional Study

Preoperative anxiety is universal in patients before surgery. It is mostly unaddressed by health professionals due to a lack of time. The objective of this study was to find out the prevalence of preoperative anxiety among patients undergoing elective surgery in a tertiary care centre. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on 385 surgical patients in the Department of Anaesthesia, from 27 November 2021 to 20 April 2022 in a tertiary care hospital posted for elective surgery. Ethical approval was obtained from the Institutional Review Committee (Reference number: MEMG/481/IRC). A convenience sampling was used. The level of anxiety and need for information was assessed using the Amsterdam Preoperative Anxiety and Information Scale questionnaire in a preoperative holding area. Point estimate and 95% Confidence Interval were calculated. Out of 385 patients posted for elective surgery, preoperative anxiety was present in 88 (22.85%) (18.66-27.04, 95% Confidence Interval) patients. The mean Amsterdam Preoperative Anxiety and Information Scale score for total anxiety and need for information was 13.59±2.47 and 5.91±3.06 respectively. Anxiety was present in 60 (68.18%) females, 45 (51.13%) young patients aged