Background: Patients with anxiety prior to coronary angiography and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), may have negative physical and psychological consequences.
Aim: To identify patients factors associated with anxiety and assess the validity of the Faces Anxiety Scale (FAS) in this sample.
Methods: Patients (n=159) were surveyed preprocedure using the Spielberger State Anxiety Inventory (SAI) and the FAS and asked to identify their major concern.
Results: The sample was aged an average 66.73 years (sd 10.12) and predominantly male (72%). Anxiety was low to moderate (SAI mean 36.44, sd 11.23; FAS median 2, range 1-5). There was a moderate correlation between the SAI and the FAS (r=.521, p=or<.001), with the FAS having low sensitivity (27%) and high specificity (95%). Patients' most common concern (37%) was uncertainty about the outcome from the procedure. Predictors of higher anxiety were taking medication for anxiety or depression (beta=5.84), experiencing angina (beta=4.96) or having a major concern about the procedural outcome (beta=4.00).
Conclusions: Many patients have moderate anxiety before coronary angiography and PCI; therefore, routine assessment and management of anxiety are justified. The FAS is not as useful as the SAI for this purpose.
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