A Study of Methods to Reduce Anxiety in Preoperative Elective Surgical Patients

INTERVENTION: Reassurance, cotton blanket, saline injection (2 ml at time 0); Reassurance, cotton blanket, midazolam injection (0.3 mg/kg i.v. at time 0); Reassurance, forced‐air warming blanket, midazolam injection (0.3 mg/kg at time 0). Reassurance and cotton blanket or forced air warming blanket applied from time 0 to time 20. Study conducted in the 20 minutes prior to induction of anaesthesia. CONDITION: Preoperative anxiety PRIMARY OUTCOME: Visual analog score for anxiety on 100‐mm scale SECONDARY OUTCOME: Thermal comfort during preoperative treatment (100 mm visual analog scale) Times to eyes open after surgery INCLUSION CRITERIA: Patients aged between 18 and 70 years, male and female Presenting for elective surgery Requiring general anaesthesia American Society of Anesthesiologists' physical status score 1‐3