Reducing anxiety in preoperative patients: a systematic review

Abstract

There are still uncertainties regarding the appropriateness and effectiveness of various modes of delivering preoperative education. Hence, this systematic review was conducted to investigate the effectiveness of various preoperative educational interventions in reducing preoperative anxiety. Fourteen interventional trials (12 randomised controlled trials and two pre/post test trials) involving a total of 1752 participants were included in the review. Four studies used audiovisual; two trials used visual; two trials used multimedia-supported education; one trial used a website; two trials involved verbal education delivered by a psychologist or a nurse facilitator coupled with leaflets; and one trial involved informational leaflets only. Eight of the 14 trials demonstrated that preoperative education intervention reduced preoperative anxiety significantly (P<0.05). It can be concluded that preoperative education interventions are promising in reducing preoperative anxiety in patients scheduled for surgical procedures.

The assessment of morning anxiety before different otorhinolaryngological surgical procedures

“…Preoperative patient education was shown to be effective in reducing preoperative anxiety in patients scheduled for surgery. [9,10] The design of the present study was completely different from previous reports because it mainly focused on preoperative morning anxiety caused by different otorhinolaryngologic surgical procedures. Aforementioned factors gave rise to the question how patients feel on the morning of ENT surgeries.…”

Vias de recuperación mejorada perioperatoria. Adaptación a la cirugía pediátrica

“…Los factores que modifi can y/o reducen la respuesta al estrés y disfunciones orgánicas son múltiples (23) y por lo tanto requieren un enfoque planifi cado y coordinado. Figura 5 Educación preoperatoria y optimización médica Información La educación preoperatoria del niño y su famila, es un elemento esencial en un programa de recuperación mejorada (24) . Se ha asociado con menores niveles de ansiedad, menor dolor postoperatorio y menor hospitalización.…”

Addressing the Barriers to Pain Management in Ambulatory Surgery

“…Although patient education is shown to reduce anxiety by making the unknown more familiar, the presence of some anxiety remains and can be a barrier to pain management strategies, as well as comprehension and retention of health teaching. 8 For the PA nurse, this necessitates repetition of information provided verbally, along with written instructions in the form of patient pamphlets for the patient to refer to at home. Standardized educational curricular for elective surgical procedures is recommended, along with completion of a postoperative phone call by the nurse to identify any concerns early on.…”