Preprocedural concerns and anxiety assessment in patients undergoing coronary angiography and percutaneous coronary interventions

Background: Patients with anxiety prior to coronary angiography and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), may have negative physical and psychological consequences. Aim: To identify patients factors associated with anxiety and assess the validity of the Faces Anxiety Scale (FAS) in this sample. Methods: Patients (n = 159) were surveyed preprocedure using the Spielberger State Anxiety Inventory (SAI) and the FAS and asked to identify their major concern. Results: The sample was aged an average 66.73 years (sd 10.12) and predominantly male (72%). Anxiety was low to moderate (SAI mean 36.44, sd 11.23; FAS median 2, range 1-5). There was a moderate correlation between the SAI and the FAS (r=.521, p=<.001), with the FAS having low sensitivity (27%) and high specificity (95%). Patients' most common concern (37%) was uncertainty about the outcome from the procedure. Predictors of higher anxiety were taking medication for anxiety or depression (beta=5.84), experiencing angina (beta=4.96) or having a major concern about the procedural outcome (beta=4.00). Conclusions: Many patients have moderate anxiety before coronary angiography and PCI; therefore, routine assessment and management of anxiety are justified. The FAS is not as useful as the SAI for this purpose. (C) 2009 European Society of Cardiology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.