Psychological distress and preoperative fear in surgical patients
Marco Sanjuán, J.C.; Bondía Gimeno, A.; Perena Soriano, M.J.; Martínez Bazán, R.; Guillén Cantín, A.; Mateo Aguado, J.M.; Ferrer Pascual, M.A.
Revista Espanola de Anestesiologia y Reanimacion 46(5): 191-196
1999
ISSN/ISBN: 0034-9356 PMID: 10379185 Document Number: 507957
To study the prevalence of psychological disorder, cognitive deterioration and anxiety in patients undergoing surgical procedures with general anesthesia. A representative sample (n = 450) of surgical patients at a tertiary hospital was selected, excluding patients with a history of mental illness or drug use, and those with cancer. After admission, the day before surgery, we collected demographic, medical and surgical data and administered the Spanish versions of Folstein's Mini Cognitive Examination (MCE) and Goldberg's General Health Questionnaire (GHQ). The patients were also asked if they felt anxiety about the surgical procedure and what they feared. The prevalence of cognitive deterioration (MCE) was 8.7% and the prevalence of psychological disorder (GHQ 28) was 29.8% (higher for women). Combining the two instruments, 38.5% showed relevant psychological disorder. Some type of anxiety was expressed by 60.9%, with the fear of "not waking up" being the most common (26%). The prevalence of psychological disorder is somewhat lower than that reported by other authors for presurgical patients, probably because our study enrolled patients with no history of mental illness related to other causes. The prevalence of anxiety found is similar to that reported in the literature.