Prevalence and Factors Associated with Preoperative Anxiety during COVID-19 Pandemic at Tertiary Care Center

Abstract

Background: Patients undergoing surgical procedures frequently develop preoperative anxiety. Purpose: This cross-sectional study's objectives was to find out the prevalence of preoperative anxiety among adult patients undergoing elective surgical operations at a tertiary teaching hospital and the impact of COVID-19. Methods: Between May 2021 and April 2022, 245 surgical patients at Nepal's National Medical College Teaching Hospital participated in the study. The data were collected during COVID pandemic with the help of Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) and General Health Questionnaire-12 (GHQ-12). Findings: The current study suggests 30.2% of patients had preoperative anxiety. There is no significant correlation between BAI score and COVID-19 infection. Conclusions: Low levels of preoperative anxiety were found during the COVID-19 pandemic in a Nepalese tertiary hospital. The main factor affecting anxiety levels was seen to be that of preoperative pain. This elevated anxiety levels can be reduced through proper preoperative counselling.