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Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2025 Jul 1;25(1):663.
doi: 10.1186/s12888-025-07107-5.

Analysis of the impact of dexmedetomidine on the vital signs of patients with anxiety at various time intervals upon entering the operating room

Lin Zhang  1   2 , Weiwei Zhang  2 , Chensheng Duan  2 , Lijun Hao  3 , Lushi Jing  4 , Xiaolai Hou  5
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

Analysis of the impact of dexmedetomidine on the vital signs of patients with anxiety at various time intervals upon entering the operating room

Lin Zhang et al. BMC Psychiatry. .

Abstract

Objective: Investigating preoperative anxiety and its determinants among patients with gastrointestinal tumors, and assessing the efficacy of dexmedetomidine in improving vital signs among patients with moderate to severe anxiety.

Methods: A total of 100 patients scheduled for elective laparoscopic gastrointestinal tumor resection were included in the study. Preoperative data were collected, and anxiety levels were assessed. Patients with moderate to severe anxiety were randomly assigned to one of three groups: regular-dose dexmedetomidine (Group D1), low-dose dexmedetomidine (Group D2), and control (Group C). The systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, and heart rate of patients in all three groups were compared at four different time points: upon entering the operating room (T0), during arterial puncture needle insertion (T1), during anesthesia induction (T2), and upon successful insertion of the endotracheal tube (T3).

Results: The average GAD-7 score among patients was 11.01 ± 3.710, and it correlated with age, level of education, and occupation (P < 0.05). Patients with moderate to severe anxiety upon entering the operating room exhibited higher systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, and heart rate compared to those with mild anxiety (P < 0.05). Compared to Group C, both Groups D1 and D2 showed similar systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, and heart rate at the T0 time point (P > 0.05). However, their systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, and heart rate at time points T1, T2, and T3 were lower than those of Group C (P < 0.05).

Conclusion: Preoperative anxiety levels of patients with gastrointestinal tumors are associated with age, educational background, and occupation. Patients experiencing moderate to severe anxiety tend to exhibit elevated blood pressure and increased heart rate upon entering the operating room. Administering a low dose of dexmedetomidine has been observed to improve the vital signs of such patients with anxiety during arterial puncture and catheterization, anesthesia induction, and tracheal intubation.

Keywords: Anxiety; Arterial puncture and catheterization; Dexmedetomidine; Tumor; Vital signs.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: This study was conducted with approval from the Ethics Committee of Shanxi Provincial People’s Hospital (No.Provincial Medical Ethics Review No.(2023)56). This study was conducted in accordance with the declaration of Helsinki. Written informed consent was obtained from all participants. Consent for publication: Not applicable. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests. Clinical trial number: Not applicable.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
The flow diagram of the progress through the phases of this study
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
GAD-7 score histogram
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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