This research compared the rates of stress in 60 patients interned for undergoing cholecystectomy surgery. 30 were treated by the National Health System (BR) and 30 by private health care plans. The instruments used for the research were the Lipp's Inventory of Stress Symptoms for Adults and two questionnaires: a social-demographic questionnaire and one on clinical variables related to the surgery. The results showed that more patients from the National Health System (BR) group were under stress (93.3%) in comparison to those from private health care plans (33.3%) (p<0.05). The variables which showed statistical differences in terms of stress were: being female, not having attended to preanesthetic evaluation and not having a basic school education level. Those factors had a relation to stress in the overall sample (p<0.05), highlighting the fact that all of those factors had a higher incidence in the National Health System (BR) group (p<0.05).
Stress; surgery; National Health System (BR); continuity of patient care
