Pre-op apprehension

Pre-op apprehension is an acute, situational state of psychological distress and anticipatory anxiety experienced by patients awaiting surgical or anesthetic procedures Clinically, it is defined by subjective feelings of dread, tension, and nervousness regarding the upcoming intervention, often presenting with somatic and autonomic manifestations such as tachycardia, hypertension, diaphoresis, tremors, and restlessness

Pre-op apprehension is an acute, situational state of psychological distress and anticipatory anxiety experienced by patients awaiting surgical or anesthetic procedures

Affecting both adult and pediatric surgical populations, it involves the central nervous and neuroendocrine systems via excessive activation of the sympathetic nervous system and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis Clinically, it is defined by subjective feelings of dread, tension, and nervousness regarding the upcoming intervention, often presenting with somatic and autonomic manifestations such as tachycardia, hypertension, diaphoresis, tremors, and restlessness

Affecting both adult and pediatric surgical populations, it involves the central nervous and neuroendocrine systems via excessive activation of the sympathetic nervous system and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis Clinically, it is defined by subjective feelings of dread, tension, and nervousness regarding the upcoming intervention, often presenting with somatic and autonomic manifestations such as tachycardia, hypertension, diaphoresis, tremors, and restlessness If unmanaged, this physiolo...

If unmanaged, this physiological hyperarousal can complicate anesthetic induction, destabilize hemodynamics, and exacerbate postoperative pain