The Effect of Preoperative Anxiety on Hemodynamic Changes during Spinal Anesthesia in Patients Undergoing the surgery for Lumbar Disc Herniation

One of the most common problems among patients who candidate for operation is anxiety and intensity of it; uncontrolling can led to unwanted complications such as hypotension and tachycardia. Due to high prevalence rate of hypotension in patients under the operation with spinal anesthesia, which can be related to patient’s anxiety, this study aimed to determine the effect of preoperative anxiety on hemodynamic changes during spinal anesthesia in patients undergoing the surgery for lumbar disc herniation. In a cross-sectional study, 100 patients who were candidates for surgery for lumbar disc herniation were selected. The intensity of anxiety was assessed using Zung Anxiety Status Inventory (ASI) and the blood pressure was measured before and during surgery; and correlation between the anxiety and blood pressure was evaluated. The mean ± SD of Zung score was 54.64 ± 14.40. 24, 42, 23 and 11 percent of the patients had mild, moderate, sever and very sever anxiety, respectively. The patients with low, moderate and sever anxiety faced significant decreases in systolic, diastolic and mean blood pressure levels and heart rate; but changing in blood pressure and heart rate in patients with very sever anxiety was not significantly different compared to before the operation. Intensity of anxiety in the before and during surgery is one of the factors effect on blood pressure changing and heart rate specially hypotension and applying of preventive activities for decrease of anxiety.