RESUMO
PURPOSE: The objectives of this study were to assess the influence of family presence in the PACU (Post Anesthesia Care Unit) on anxiety, emergency delirium, pain and length of stay in the recovery room for elderly patients undergoing surgery for which general anesthesia has been used. METHODS: The study was a nonequivalent control group pre-post test design. Eighty elderly patients over 65 years who underwent surgery under general anesthesia were recruited. Forty were assigned to the experiment group, patients together with a family member and 40 to the control group, with no family member present. Patients' anxiety, emergency delirium, pain and length of time in the recovery room were evaluated at 10 minute and 30 minute after arrival in the PACU. RESULTS: Patients with family members in the PACU showed significantly decreased levels of anxiety at 10 and 30 minutes and significantly lower levels of emergency delirium and pain at 30 minutes. However there was no difference between the 2 groups for length of time in the recovery room. CONCLUSION: The results of this study indicate that being with family members in the PACU after surgery under general anesthesia is effective for reducing elderly patients' anxiety, delirium and pain during time in the recovery room.