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. 2019 Jul 11;6(4):1323-1330.
doi: 10.1002/nop2.330. eCollection 2019 Oct.

Validation of a visual analogue scale for the evaluation of the postoperative anxiety: A prospective observational study

François Labaste  1   2 , Fabrice Ferré  1 , Hélène Combelles  1 , Valentin Rey  1 , Jean-Christophe Foissac  1 , Anne Senechal  1 , Jean-Marie Conil  1 , Vincent Minville  1   2
Affiliations

Validation of a visual analogue scale for the evaluation of the postoperative anxiety: A prospective observational study

François Labaste et al. Nurs Open. .

Abstract

Aim: Anxiety affects the perception of pain during the postoperative period. A simple evaluation scale could improve the management of this component. The objective of this study was to evaluate the reproducibility and the consistency of a visual analogue scale for anxiety compared with the reference method, the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI).

Design: Observational, prospective, monocentric study of 500 patients in the post-anaesthetist care unit. Anxiety was evaluated using both the visual analogue scale for anxiety and the STAI in perioperative patients. Consistency between the visual analogue scale for anxiety and the STAI, detection thresholds and factors predicting anxiety were researched.

Results: A correlation was found between the visual analogue scale for anxiety and the STAI. There was also a correlation between pain and anxiety. Analysis of receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves showed a visual analogue scale for anxiety threshold of 34/100 allowing the identification of patients with or without anxiety. Predictive factors for anxiety are female gender, use of benzodiazepine in premedication, emergency surgery and significant pain in the post-anaesthetist care unit. In summary, visual analogue scale for anxiety is a useful tool for detecting the anxiety component of postoperative pain. It could be used in association with covariates of interest to improve anxiety management during the postoperative period.

Keywords: STAI; Spielberger; anxiety; nurse evaluation; pain; visual analogue scale.

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Conflict of interest statement

This work should be attributed to the Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care, Toulouse University Hospital, Toulouse, France. Support was provided solely from institutional and department sources. Authors have not disclosed any potential conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Flow chart
Figure 2
Figure 2
Correlation of evaluation scale scores VAS‐A and STAI (a: PACU admission, b: PACU discharge)
Figure 3
Figure 3
Comparison of ROC curves for VAS‐A and pain scales in anxious groups (STAI > 40) at PACU admission (a) and discharge (b)
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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