Current status and influencing factors of anxiety in patients with malignant tumors after anesthesia recovery

Abstract

BACKGROUND

General anesthesia is essential for maintaining adequate sedation, minimizing intraoperative stimuli, and ensuring smooth surgery completion. However, when faced with invasive procedures and anesthetic risks, patients often exhibit nonspecific physiological and psychological responses.

AIM

To investigate the occurrence of agitation and the prevalence of anxiety during anesthesia recovery in patients with malignant tumors (MTs) and to analyze their influencing factors, providing a theoretical basis for clinical management.

METHODS

An analysis was performed on 168 patients who underwent surgery for MTs and recovered from anesthesia between April 2022 and October 2023. Based on the presence or absence of agitation during general anesthesia recovery, patients were divided into agitation and non-agitation groups. The Self-Rating Anxiety Scale was distributed to patients who recovered from anesthesia for a questionnaire survey, and based on the results, they were further categorized into anxiety and non-anxiety groups. Clinical data were compared to identify factors influencing agitation and anxiety.

RESULTS

Agitation occurred in 41 (24.4%) of the 168 patients during recovery from general anesthesia. Compared with the non-agitation group, patients with agitation were older, had higher rates of preoperative anxiety, alcohol consumption, diabetes, operations or anesthesia lasting > 3 hours, intraoperative hypothermia, and higher Visual Analog Scale (VAS) scores during recovery (P < 0.05). Logistic regression analysis identified age, operative duration of > 3 hours, preoperative anxiety score, and intraoperative hypothermia as independent risk factors for agitation. The mean anxiety score among all patients was 7.23 ± 2.67, with anxiety symptoms confirmed in 59 cases (35.1%). Univariate and multivariate analyses revealed significant associations between groups with age, preoperative anxiety score, education level, annual income, and VAS score during recovery (P < 0.05). Preoperative anxiety score, education level, annual income, and VAS score during recovery were key factors influencing anxiety in patients who underwent MT surgery during general anesthesia recovery.

CONCLUSION

Anxiety is common among patients recovering from anesthesia after MT surgery. Preoperative anxiety score, education level, annual income, and VAS score during recovery are major influencing factors for anxiety, whereas preoperative anxiety represents a risk factor for agitation.

Keywords: Malignant tumor; Anesthesia recovery; Anxiety; Agitation during recovery; Visual Analog Scale

Core Tip: Surgical resection remains the primary treatment method for malignant tumors, with general anesthesia playing a pivotal role in ensuring smooth intraoperative management. Agitation during recovery is a common postoperative complication, and patients’ emotional states critically affect recovery outcomes. This study highlights the prevalence and determinants of postoperative anxiety in patients undergoing anesthesia recovery who underwent malignant tumor surgery to alleviate adverse physiological and psychological reactions, reduce discomfort, and promote optimal physical and mental recovery.