OBJECTIVE: To determine the effectiveness of calatonia on anxiety level of surgical outpatients during the preoperative period. METHODS: the sample consists of 45 literate individuals at age of 17 years or over who were classified as American Society of Anasthesiology 1 and assigned to an experimental (N = 30) or to a control group (N = 15). Each subject signed an informed consent prior to being enrolled in the study. Pretest and posttest self-report measure of anxiety and vital signs were taken from subjects. Calatonia was delivered between 30 to 90 minutes before the surgery. Each section of calatonia had duration of 10 minutes. RESULTS: only pulse rate had significant reduction (p=0,015). CONCLUSION: the effect of calatonia on anxiety level might be effective. The short time of the delivery of the intervention, the incongruence between the score of the anxiety scale and systemic responses, and baseline low level of anxiety in both groups made it difficult to determine the effectiveness of the intervention on the anxiety level of surgical outpatients during the preoperative period.
Preoperative care; Perioperative care; Anxiety; Relaxation techniques; Complemetary therapies; Nurse-patient relations
