Perioperative Psychological and Music Interventions in Elderly Patients Undergoing Spinal Anesthesia: Effect on Anxiety, Heart Rate Variability, and Postoperative Pain

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of perioperative psychological and music interventions in elderly patients undergoing elective surgery on anxiety, post-operative pain, and changes in heart rate variability (HRV) to ascertain if perioperative psychological and music interventions can affect overall anxiety levels. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fourty elderly patients undergoing elective surgery were randomized to two groups; one group received psychological and music intervention, and the other was the control. The intervention group underwent psychological intervention and listening to music for 30 min before surgery. RESULTS: The mean change in HRV as determined by low frequency (LF) power measurements. After the intervention, the ratio of mean LF to high frequency (HF) power decreased significantly in the intervention group compared to before the intervention (p<0.05). In the control group, mean LF measurements and the ratio of LF:HF did not change significantly. In the intervention group, mean HF power was significantly higher after the procedure than before (p<0.01). Moreover, the mean self-rating anxiety score of the intervention group decreased after the procedure compared to before (p<0.05). The mean visual analogue score of the intervention group 6 hours after surgery was significantly lower than that of the control group (p<0.01). CONCLUSION: Perioperative psychological and music interventions can reduce anxiety and postoperative pain in elderly patients.

Effects of subarachnoid block on plasma nitric oxide level in the patients with pregnancy induced hypertension / 中华麻醉学杂志

Objective To observe the effects of subarachnoid block on plasma nitric oxide level of the pregnancy induced hypertension patients Methods Twenty female patients ASA class I ,scheduled for elective gynecological surgery served as non pregnancy group, 20 normal late stage gravidas as pregnancy group,and 20 severe pregnancy induced hypertension(PIH) gravidas as PIH group The intravenohs blood samples were taken immediately before subarachnoid block and 10 min following subarachnoid block(before incision),to quantify the plasma concentration of nitric oxide by measuring the metabolic production of nitric oxide:nitrite and nitrate Results Immediately before subarachnoid block,the plasma nitric oxide level decreased significantly in non pregnancy group and PIH group compared with that in pregnancy group (P