Examination of the anxiety level in patients undergoing transesophageal echocardiography

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to determine the levels of anxiety in patients with transesophageal echocardiography (TEE). METHODS: The research was carried out at a university's Heart Hospital, echocardiography laboratory between the dates of January-October 2014. Data were collected with Patient Identification Form, State and Trait Anxiety Inventory. The level of state and trait anxiety was measured by Spielberger's State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. Signed forms of consent for the study were obtained from patients after the ethics committee approval. Descriptive statistics, t-test, Kruskal-Wallis, Mann-Whitney U test and Pearson correlation coefficient were used for statistical data analysis. RESULTS: The study included 102 patients who were admitted to the cardiology department for TEE. The mean age of the patients was 44.12±16.86 years and 52.9% were men. About 46.5% of them graduated from primary school, 74.5% were married, and 52.0% has moderate income. Approximately half the patients reported that they had received information for TEE. State anxiety scores of patients ranged from 31 to 66 (mean±SD; 46.7±8.7), and their trait anxiety scores ranged from 28 to 52 (mean±SD; 44.4±4.3). Low educational level, female gender, and hospitalized patients' state anxiety point were very high and statistically significant. CONCLUSION: Anxiety level should be determined in this patients, and appropriate nursing care should be done for high anxiety score patients.