Daycase anaesthesia and anxiety. A study of anxiety profiles amongst patients attending a day bed unit.

Two hundred adult patients aged 16-65 years scheduled to undergo operation under general anaesthesia in a Day Bed Unit were assessed for anxiety at the time of booking and on the day of operation. The nature of previous anaesthetic experience was the prime determinant of the anxiety scores obtained at booking. The score at booking was the prime determinant of the score on the day of operation, with previous experience and type of operation as secondary independent factors. Patients scheduled to undergo oral surgery were particularly anxious. Nineteen percent of patients would have liked to have received something to relieve their anxiety.