Assessment of anxiety in patients who undergo surgical procedures for tooth implants: a prospective study

Risk factors for shivering during caesarean section under spinal anaesthesia. A prospective observational study

BACKGROUND

Shivering during caesarean section (CS) under spinal anaesthesia is a common phenomenon. It could not only alter patient's physiology by increasing oxygen consumption but also affect the parturient's experience of childbirth. Shivering is thought to be associated with intraoperative hypothermia, but the risk factors and exact mechanism remain unclear.

METHODS

We conducted a prospective, observational study to examine the potential risk factors for intraoperative shivering, including anxiety levels. Two hundred patients undergoing elective CS under spinal anaesthesia were recruited. Parturient anxiety levels were evaluated using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) questionnaire. Age, weight, height, BMI, anxiety level, number of previous deliveries, sensory block level, level of education, temperature difference during surgery and American Society of Anesthesiologists score were investigated as potential risk factors. Stepwise logistic regression was used to assess the predictors for shivering.

RESULTS

Data from 155 parturients were analysed. Shivering incidence was 21.9% (34 parturients). The statistical model predicted 8.5% of a shivering incidence variability (R-square Nagelkerke = 0.085). Out of all measured variables, only the number of previous deliveries [(W) = 4.295 Exp(B) = 0.562 P < .05] and STAI-X1 [(W) = 4.127 Exp(B) = 1.052 P < .05] were significant. In our model, the risk of shivering decreased by 44% with every previous delivery and increased by 5.2% with each 1-point increase in STAI-X1.

CONCLUSION

We failed to prove a strong correlation between the measured variables and shivering. Our findings, however, support the hypothesis, that to a limited extent, anxiety promotes shivering during CS.

Effect of patient anxiety on image motion artefacts in CBCT

BACKGROUND

Artefacts in images related to patient movement decrease image quality, potentially necessitating re-scanning, which leads to an extra radiation dose for the patient. Thus, avoiding patient motion reduces patient exposure to radiation. The aim of this study was to analyse image motion artefacts (MAs) and how they are affected by patient anxiety during cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) examination.

METHODS

A total of 100 patients undergoing CBCT examination were investigated. The State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-S and STAI-T) form was used to measure patient anxiety. Patient's age, gender, dental anxiety score, diagnostic reason for CBCT examination, field of view (FOV), acquisition time, anatomical area, and presence of motion artefacts on images were recorded. Comparisons of the parameters were evaluated using Pearson's correlation, the chi-square test, the Mann-Whitney U test, the Kruskal-Wallis test and t-tests. The significance level was set at 0.05.

RESULTS

The mean values of the scores for the total population were 37.2 for the STAI-S and 41.6 for the STAI-T. Women exhibited higher anxiety levels than men. The patients' anxiety scores were significantly correlated with dental fear. The prevalence of patients showing motion artefacts was 6%. The mean age of patients with motion artefacts on their images (56.83) was higher than that of patients without (39.14). There was no relationship between motion artefact presence and patient gender, anxiety score, diagnostic reason for CBCT examination, FOV, acquisition time, or anatomical area. Patients showing motion artefacts on their images had higher STAI scores than those with no motion artefacts (non-significant).

CONCLUSIONS

The population in this study experienced anxiety before CBCT scanning. Excessive anxiety did not clearly affect whether image motion artefacts were generated during CBCT examination, although a non-significant increase in STAI scores was noticed in patients with motion artefacts on their images.

Salivary Alpha Amylase, Dental Anxiety, and Extraction Pain: A Pilot Study

The primary intention of this study was to determine whether salivary alpha-amylase (sAA) factors or the Dental Anxiety Scale (DAS) was a better predictor of dental extraction pain. This study followed a cross-sectional design and included a convenience sample (n = 23) recruited from an outpatient oral surgery clinic. While waiting for their scheduled appointments, consenting patients completed both basic demographic/medical history questionnaires and Corah's DAS as well as submitted sublingual saliva samples. After their extractions, patients marked visual analog scales (VAS) to indicate the intensity of their intraoperative discomfort. Results of this study confirm that there is a relationship between a patient's dental anxiety and intraoperative extraction pain (r[21] = .47, P = .02). This study did not find that preoperative sAA factors (concentration and output rate) were related to either VAS extraction pain or DAS score. A strong positive relationship was observed between the concentration of sAA and the rate of sAA output (r[21] = .81, P < .001). Based on the results of our study, we conclude that dental anxiety has a moderate but significant correlation with intraoperative dental pain. Factors of sAA do not appear to be predictive of this experience. Therefore, simply assessing an anxious patient may be the best indication of that patient's extraction pain.