title: Validation of visual analogue scale for anxiety (VAS-A) in preanesthesia evaluation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Anxiety is a relevant but still underscored perioperative problem. The Visual Analogue Scale for Anxiety (VAS-A) seems to be effective, fast and manageable, but has not been fully validated yet. The aim of this study is to validate VAS-A comparing it to, Corah's Dental Anxiety Scale (CDAS) Spielberger's State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI).
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred consecutive patients (38 males and 62 females, median age 49 years) submitted to oral surgery filled out the VAS-A, CDAS, STAI forms Y1 and Y2, and BDI at preoperative examination; the order of administration of tests was randomized.
  
  
  RESULTS
  VAS-A score was significantly correlated to CDAS (P<0.0001), STAI-Y1 (P<0.0001), STAI-Y2 (P<0.002) but not to BDI (P=0.18). ROC curve analysis suggested VAS-A equal to 46 mm as threshold for anxiety when using STAI Y1 equal to 40 as reference cutoff.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study confirms that VAS-A is a reliable indicator of preoperative anxiety and may detect patients with depressive symptoms also. Values of VAS-A around 50 mm are a reliable threshold for a clinically meaningful level of preoperative anxiety.
authors.affiliation: Background: Anxiety is a relevant but still underscored perioperative problem. The Visual Analogue Scale for Anxiety (VAS-A) seems to be effective, fast and manageable, but has not been fully validated yet. The aim of this study is to validate VAS-A comparing it to, Corah's Dental Anxiety Scale (CDAS) Spielberger's State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). Methods: One hundred consecutive patients (38 males and 62 females, median age 49 years) submitted to oral surgery filled out the VAS-A, CDAS, STAI forms Y1 and Y2, and BDI at preoperative examination - enrico.facco@unipd.it.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Facco
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Stellini
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bacci
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Manani
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pavan
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cavallin
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zanette
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001007:Anxiety / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011300:Preoperative Care; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013515:Surgery, Oral / Q000523:psychology; D064232:Visual Analog Scale