The Impact of Preangiography Anxiety on Postangiography Comfort in Older Adults: Implications for Perianesthesia Nursing Care.

Purpose: To determine the relationship between anxiety before coronary angiography and comfort after coronary angiography in people over 65 years of age.

Design: A descriptive cross-sectional study.

Methods: The study population consisted of patients aged 65 years and older who agreed to participate in the study and underwent coronary angiography. The study was carried out on a total of 201 patients. Data for the study were collected using the Sociodemographic and Medical Information Form, Surgical Fear Questionnaire (SFQ), Early Postoperative Comfort Scale, Visual Anxiety Scale (VAS), and Angiography Information Form. Pearson's test was used to determine the direction of the relationship between comfort after angiography and fear and anxiety before angiography. Multivariate linear regression program was used for different orders of magnitude between predictors of comfort rates.

Findings: A negative and low-level correlation was found between Early Postoperative Comfort Scale and short-term SFQ, long-term SFQ, total SFQ, and VAS. Variables and scale scores that showed statistically significant differences in predicting patient comfort after angiography in univariate analyses were evaluated using stepwise multiple linear regression analysis. The best model for the postangiography comfort score was created in step 4. Increasing age, the presence of a chronic disease, and high levels of anxiety and fear before angiography were found to be negative predictors of comfort after angiography.

Conclusions: Comfort after angiography was reduced by high fear and anxiety before angiography, increasing age, and the presence of chronic disease. This study highlights the importance of anxiety management and individualized care before angiography in older people.