Muhammad Ehsan Ul Haq.
Role of pre-anaesthesia outpatient clinic in reducing pre-operative anxiety.
J Coll Physicians Surg Pak Jan ;14(4):202-4.

Objective: To compare the level of pre-operative anxiety in patients reporting 1 to 2 weeks before surgery with patients assessed after getting direct admission to ward. Design: A comparative study. Place and Duration of Study: The study was carried out at Pakistan Naval Hospital, PNS Shifa, Karachi, from September 2000 to August 2001. Subjects and Methods: Two groups of 20 patients each were studied who underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Group-A was assessed in pre-anaesthesia outpatient consultation clinic 1 to 2 weeks prior to surgery and Group-B had pre-anaesthetic assessment on the evening before surgery. The method used to assess anxiety was: the visual analogue scale of anxiety (VAS) and p-value was derived by using Student`s t-test. Results: The anxiety score assessed was lower in group-A, than group-B (p < 0.01). Conclusion: Pre-anesthetic assessment in pre-anesthesia consultation clinic, 1 to 2 weeks before surgery, reduces pre-operative anxiety, when compared with an assessment on the evening before surgery.

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