Preoperative education for total hip and knee replacement patients. Preparing patients for total hip replacement: a randomized controlled trial of a preoperative educational intervention. Prehospital education: effectiveness with total hip replacement surgery patients. Videotape preparation of patients before hip replacement surgery reduces stress. Minimising preoperative anxiety with music for day surgery patients - a randomised clinical trial. Effects of extended preoperative information on perioperative stress: an anaesthetic nurse intervention for patients with breast cancer and total hip replacement. Physical conditioning and mental stress reduction--a randomised trial in patients undergoing cardiac surgery. Family-centered preparation for surgery improves perioperative outcomes in children: a randomized controlled trial.
Psychoeducational preparation is known to improve postoperative outcome. We tested two common psychoeducational procedures in elderly orthopedic patients, examining how best to match interventions to patients by psychological type.
                Two hundred twenty-two elderly patients undergoing total hip or knee replacement were randomly assigned to 1) a slide-tape with information on the postoperative, in-hospital rehabilitation experience, or 2) training in Benson's Relaxation Response with a bedside audiotape, in a 2 x 2 factorial design.
                The relaxation response did not influence postoperative outcomes. The educational intervention reduced length of stay and pain medication use for patients who exhibited most denial (tendency to avoid thinking about unpleasant events), and reduced postoperative anxiety and cognitive errors on the Mini-Mental State Exam for patients with most baseline anxiety. There was no effect on postoperative pain.
                The importance of attending to the patient's psychological state and level of preparation before orthopedic surgery is reinforced. Patients who exhibit most denial and highest anxiety may benefit from educational interventions, but patients' directly expressing desire for information may be a poor guide in deciding which patients would benefit, compared with more formal psychological testing for denial and anxiety. Previous research indicates that giving appropriate information to patients before surgery yields many benefits. This randomized controlled trial evaluated a pre admission and postadmission intervention comprising a video, booklet and plastic models for patients undergoing total hip replacement. Seventy-eight patients participated in the study and were randomized into control and intervention groups. The intervention was implemented one month before surgery. Over the operative period, patients completed questionnaires including the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Nottingham Health Profile and Stress Arousal Checklist. Results showed no significant differences between control and intervention groups for the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Nottingham Health Profile and Stress Arousal Checklist. However, patients from the intervention group were more likely to know as much as they wanted to know before admission (p <.001) and felt less confronted by information on arrival for the hospital stay. In an era when patient satisfaction is of paramount importance, this preoperative intervention has applications in many settings. In-hospital education can reduce anxiety, improve coping and shorten hospital stays of surgical patients. However, hospitals are containing costs by shortening pre- and postoperative stays and reducing the time available for in-hospital teaching. This study evaluated prehospital education for total hip replacement (THR) surgery. Half of the patients waiting for admission for THR surgery were randomly selected to receive a THR education booklet in the mail 4-6 weeks before their scheduled THR surgery. Compared to the No-Booklet patients, patients who had received the booklet were less anxious at the time of hospital admission and at discharge, were more likely to have practised physiotherapy exercises prior to hospitalization, and required significantly less occupational therapy and physiotherapy while in hospital. There were no group differences for length of hospital stay. Elective surgery represents a considerable source of stress for the patient. Many attempts have been made to prepare patients before surgery with the aim of reducing stress and improving outcome. This study used a novel approach to fulfill this aim by showing a videotape of a patient undergoing total hip replacement surgery, covering the time period from hospital admission to discharge, that strictly keeps to the patient's perspective.
                Before elective total hip replacement surgery, 100 patients were randomly assigned to a control group or a preparation group; the latter group was shown the videotape on the evening before surgery. Anxiety and pain were evaluated daily for 5 days, beginning with the preoperative day, by means of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory and a visual analog scale. Intraoperative heart rate and blood pressure, as well as postoperative intake of analgesics and sedatives, were recorded. Urinary levels of cortisol, epinephrine, and norepinephrine were determined in 12-hour samples collected at night for 5 nights, beginning with the preoperative night.
                Compared with the control group, the preparation group showed significantly less anxiety on the morning before surgery and the mornings of the first 2 postoperative days, and significantly fewer of them had an intraoperative systolic blood pressure increase of more than 15%. The pain ratings did not differ significantly between the two groups, but the prepared patients needed less analgesic medication after surgery. Prepared patients had significantly lower cortisol excretion during the preoperative night and the first 2 postoperative nights. Excretion of catecholamines did not differ significantly between groups.
                We conclude that use of the videotape decreased anxiety and stress, measured in terms of urinary cortisol excretion and intraoperative systolic blood pressure increase, in patients undergoing hip replacement surgery and prepared them to cope better with postoperative pain. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of musical intervention on preoperative anxiety and vital signs in patients undergoing day surgery.
                Studies and systematic meta-analyses have shown inconclusive results of the efficacy of music in reducing preoperative anxiety. We designed a study to provide additional evidence for its use in preoperative nursing care.
                Randomised, controlled study.
                Patients (n = 183) aged 18-65 admitted to our outpatient surgery department were randomly assigned to either the experimental group (music delivered by earphones) or control group (no music) for 20 minutes before surgery. Anxiety, measured by the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, and vital signs were measured before and after the experimental protocol.
                A total of 172 patients (60 men and 112 women) with a mean age of 40·90 (SD 11·80) completed the study. The largest number (35·7%) was undergoing elective plastic surgery and 76·7% of the total reported previous experience with surgery. Even though there was only a low-moderate level of anxiety at the beginning of the study, both groups showed reduced anxiety and improved vital signs compared with baseline values; however, the intervention group reported significantly lower anxiety [mean change: -5·83 (SD 0·75) vs. -1·72 (SD 0·65), p < 0·001] on the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory compared with the control group.
                Patients undergoing day surgery may benefit significantly from musical intervention to reduce preoperative anxiety and improve physiological parameters.
                Finding multimodal approaches to ease discomfort and anxiety from unfamiliar unit surroundings and perceived risks of morbidity (e.g. disfigurement and long-term sequelae) is necessary to reduce preoperative anxiety and subsequent physiological complications. This is especially true in the day surgery setting, where surgical admission times are often subject to change and patients may have to accommodate on short notice or too long a wait that may provoke anxiety. Our results provide additional evidence that musical intervention may be incorporated into routine nursing care for patients undergoing minor surgery.
                © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd. An anaesthetic nurse intervention was performed in order to evaluate the effects of extended preoperative information, given by anaesthetic nurses, on perioperative stress in patients operated on for breast cancer or total hip replacement (THR). Forty-six consecutive patients scheduled for surgery for breast cancer, and 55 for THR, were randomized into two groups which were given different modes of preoperative information. Patients in the control group were informed about pre- and postoperative routines by a ward nurse. Patients in the intervention group were given extended formalized information by an anaesthetic nurse. Wilcoxon rank sum test was used to show relations between variables. There were no significant differences between the intervention group and control group for patients with breast cancer or for patients with THR. Breast cancer patients in the intervention group were significantly more anxious than THR patients in the intervention group (P < 0.01). Breast cancer patients in the intervention group showed the highest anxiety scores on the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) scale on the day of surgery. This information may reflect an increased level of anxiety due to the extended information given preoperatively. The information may thus have had a negative effect on breast cancer patients, resulting in an increased state of anxiety. The result indicates a need for individualized modes of information to provide a proper balance between enough and too much information. Preoperative anxiety and physical unfitness have been shown to have adverse effects on recovery from cardiac surgery. This study involving cardiac surgery patients was primarily aimed at assessing the feasibility of delivering physical conditioning and stress reduction programs within the public hospital setting. Secondary aims were to evaluate the effect of these programs on quality of life (QOL), rates of postoperative atrial fibrillation (AF) and length of stay (LOS) in hospital.
                Elective patients scheduled for coronary artery bypass graft and/or valve surgery at a public hospital in Melbourne, Australia were enrolled. Patients were randomized to receive either holistic therapy (HT) or usual care (UC). HT consisted of a series of light physical exercise sessions together with a mental stress reduction program administered in an outpatient setting for the first two weeks after placement on the waiting list for surgery. A self-administered SF-36 questionnaire was used to measure QOL and hospital records to collect data on LOS and rate of postoperative AF.
                The study population comprised 117 patients of whom 60 received HT and 57 received UC. Both programs were able to be delivered within the hospital setting but ongoing therapy beyond the two week duration of the program was not carried out due to long waiting periods and insufficient resources. HT, as delivered in this study, compared to UC did not result in significant changes in QOL, LOS or AF incidence.
                Preoperative holistic therapy can be delivered in the hospital setting, although two weeks is insufficient to provide benefits beyond usual care on QOL, LOS or postoperative AF. Further research is now required to determine whether a similar program of longer duration, or targeted to high risk patients can provide measurable benefits.
                This trial was conducted as part of a larger study and according to the principles contained in the CONSORT statement 2001. Children and parents experience significant anxiety and distress during the preoperative period. Currently available interventions are having limited efficacy. Based on an integration of the literature in both the anesthesia and psychological milieus, the authors developed a behaviorally oriented perioperative preparation program for children undergoing surgery that targets the family as a whole.
                Children and their parents (n = 408) were randomly assigned to one of four groups: (1) control: received standard of care; (2) parental presence: received standard parental presence during induction of anesthesia; (3) ADVANCE: received family-centered behavioral preparation; and (4) oral midazolam. The authors assessed the effect of group assignment on preoperative anxiety levels and postoperative outcomes such as analgesic consumption and emergence delirium.
                Parents and children in the ADVANCE group exhibited significantly lower anxiety in the holding area as compared with all three other groups (34.4+/-16 vs. 39.7+/-15; P=0.007) and were less anxious during induction of anesthesia as compared with the control and parental presence groups (44.9+/-22 vs. 51.6+/-25 and 53.6+/-25, respectively; P=0.006). Anxiety and compliance during induction of anesthesia was similar for children in both the ADVANCE and midazolam groups (44.9+/-22 vs. 42.9+/-24; P=0.904). Children in the ADVANCE group exhibited a lower incidence of emergence delirium after surgery (P=0.038), required significantly less analgesia in the recovery room (P=0.016), and were discharged from the recovery room earlier (P=0.04) as compared with children in the three other groups.
                The family-centered preoperative ADVANCE preparation program is effective in the reduction of preoperative anxiety and improvement in postoperative outcomes.
There is little evidence to support the use of pre-operative education over and above standard care to improve postoperative outcomes in patients undergoing hip or knee replacement surgery, especially with respect to pain, functioning and length of hospital stay. There is evidence that preoperative education has a modest beneficial effect on preoperative anxiety. There may also be beneficial effects when preoperative education is tailored according to anxiety, or targeted at those most in need of support (e.g. those who are particularly disabled, or have limited social support structures).