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Cited by 632Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive ProcessesMusic Therapy and HealthAnesthesia and Pain Management

The DOI matches its Crossref record; 38 of the 38 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.

The Visual Analog Scale Allows Effective Measurement of Preoperative Anxiety and Detection of Patients’ Anesthetic Concerns

Kindler, Christoph H., Harms, Christoph, Amsler, Felix, Ihde-Scholl, Thomas, Scheidegger, Daniel·2000·Anesthesia & Analgesia
DOI 10.1097/00000539-200003000-00036
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Abstract

UNLABELLED: The advent of managed care, reduction of costs, and advances in medical technology place increasing demands on anesthesiologists. Preoperative anxiety may go unnoticed in an environment that stresses increased productivity. The present study compares different methods for measuring preoperative anxiety, identifies certain patient characteristics that predispose to high anxiety, and describes the quantity and quality of anxiety that patients experience preoperatively. Seven hundred thirty-four patients participated in the study. We assessed aspects of anxiety by means of visual analog scales (VAS) and the State Anxiety Score of the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). The mean STAI anxiety score was 39 +/- 1 (n = 486) and the mean VAS for fear of anesthesia was 29 +/- 1 (n = 539). Patients feared surgery significantly more than anesthesia (P < 0.001). The VAS measuring fear of anesthesia correlated well with the STAI score (r = 0.55; P < 0.01). Young patients, female patients, and patients with no previous anesthetic experience or a previous negative anesthetic experience had higher anxiety scores. Patients worried most about the waiting period preceding surgery and were least concerned about possible awareness intraoperatively. Factor analysis of various anxiety items showed three distinct dimensions of fear: 1) the fear of the unknown 2) the fear of feeling ill, and 3) the fear for one's life. Among these dimensions, fear of the unknown correlated highest with the anxiety measuring techniques STAI and VAS. The simple VAS proved to be a useful and valid measure of preoperative anxiety. IMPLICATIONS: The study of qualitative aspects of anxiety reveals three distinct dimensions of preoperative fear: fear of the unknown, fear of feeling ill, and fear for one's life. Groups of patients with a higher degree of preoperative anxiety and their specific anesthetic concerns can be identified using the visual analog scale.

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Research works printed but not linked: 3

  1. Vogelsang, 1988, J Post Anesth Nursing, 3, 235
  2. Grabow, 1990, Psychother Psychosom Med Psychol, 40, 255
  3. Moerman, 1996, Anesth Analg, 82, 445

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Metadata

Authors
Kindler, C. H., Harms, C., Amsler, F., Ihde-Scholl, T., & Scheidegger, D.
Affiliations
  • University of Basel (CH)
  • University of Wisconsin–Madison (US)
Corresponding author
  • Kindler, Christoph H.
  • Harms, Christoph
  • Amsler, Felix
  • Scheidegger, Daniel
ORCID
Venue
Anesthesia & Analgesia
Publisher
Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health)
Published
2000-03
Volume
90
Issue
3
Pages
706-712
ISSN
0003-2999 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1097/00000539-200003000-00036
OpenAlex
W2153407324
Cited by
632
References
38
Citations by year
2026: 28 · 2025: 32 · 2024: 34 · 2023: 25 · 2022: 50 · 2021: 37 · 2020: 38 · 2019: 26 · 2018: 28 · 2017: 27 · 2016: 27 · 2015: 36 · 2014: 38 · 2013: 22 · 2012: 25
FWCI
11.36
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
  • Anesthesia & Analgesia (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Music Therapy and Health
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine › Anesthesia and Pain Management
Keywords
preoperative anxiety, visual analogue scale, fear of anesthesia, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, anxiety assessment, fear of the unknown, patient characteristics, intraoperative awareness
MeSH terms
Adult, Aged, Anesthesia, Anxiety, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Psychological Tests, Surgical Procedures, Operative

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