Citrus aurantium blossom and preoperative anxiety.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Reducing anxiety is very important before operation. Preoperative visit and use of premedication are popular methods to achieve this goal, but the role of anxiolytic premedication remains unclear and postoperative side-effects may result from routine premedication. Citrus aurantium is used as an alternative medicine in some countries to treat anxiety, and recently the anxiolytic role of this medicinal plant was established in an animal model study. The aim of this study was to assess the anxiolytic effect of Citrus aurantium blossomon preoperative anxiety. METHODS We studied 60 ASA I patients undergoing minor operation. In a randomized double-blind design, two groups of 30 patients received one of the following oral premedication two hours before induction of anesthesia: 1) Citrus aurantium blossom distillate 1mL.kg(-1) (C-group); 2) Saline solution 1mL.kg(-1) as placebo (P-group). Anxiety was measured before and after premedication using the Spielberger state-trait anxiety inventory (STAI-state) and the Amsterdam preoperative anxiety and information scale (APAIS) before operation. RESULTS After premedication, both the STAI-state and the APAIS scales were decreased in C-group (p<0.05); while exhibiting no significant changes in P-group. CONCLUSIONS Citrus aurantium blossom may be effective in terms of reduction in preoperative anxiety before minor operation.