Date of Award

8-2007

Document Type

Independent Study

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Abstract

With all of the advancements in the medical field, patients are still having anxiety in the preoperative and pain in the postoperative setting. Anxiety and pain are known to cause a stress response that impedes the healing process of the body. However, does a relationship between preoperative anxiety and postoperative pain exist? This independent project investigated in-depth, the physiologic stress response caused by anxiety, whether or not this stress response could be linked as one of the many causes of postoperative pain, and if decreasing anxiety preoperatively could theoretically decrease the analgesic requirements of the patient postoperatively. Although it is common practice to treat preoperative anxiety with an anxiolitic this independent project also investigated other ways that may be of benefit to the patient, the nurse, and the anesthesia provider

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