1.Validation of the Malay version of the Amsterdam Preoperative Anxiety and Information Scale (APAIS)
Mohd Fahmi Zakariah ; Lee-Lee Lai ; Pui-San Loh
The Medical Journal of Malaysia 2015;70(4):243-248
Background: Preoperative anxiety is a significant problem
worldwide that may affect patients’ surgical outcome. By
using a simple and reliable tool such as the Amsterdam
Preoperative Anxiety and Information Scale (APAIS),
anaesthesiologists would be able to assess preoperative
anxiety adequately and accurately.
Objective: The purpose of this study was to develop and
validate the Malay version of APAIS (Malay-APAIS), and
assess the factors associated with higher anxiety scores.
Methods: The authors performed forward and backward
translation of APAIS into Malay and then tested on 200
patients in the anaesthetic clinic of University Malaya
Medical Centre. Psychometric analysis was performed with
factor analysis, internal consistency and correlation with
Spielberger’s State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-state).
Results: A good correlation was shown with STAI-state (r =
0.59). Anxiety and need for information both emerged with
high internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha 0.93 and 0.90
respectively). Female gender, surgery with a higher risk and
need for information were found to be associated with
higher anxiety scores. On the other hand, previous
experience with surgery had lower need for information.
Conclusion: The Malay-APAIS is a valid and reliable tool for
the assessment of patients’ preoperative anxiety and their
need for information. By understanding and measuring
patient’s concerns objectively, the perioperative
management will improve to a much higher standard of care.
2.The handling of safety concerns among anaesthetists when restarting full surgical lists during the COVID-19 pandemic
Pui San Loh ; Ina Ismiarti Shariffuddin ; Sook Hui Chaw ; Marzida Mansor
The Medical Journal of Malaysia 2021;76(1):98-100
Around June 2020, many institutions restarted full operating
schedules to clear the backlog of postponed surgeries
because of the first wave in the COVID-19 pandemic. In an
online survey distributed among anaesthestists in Asian
countries at that time, most of them described their safety
concerns and recommendations related to the supply of
personal protective equipment and its usage. The second
concern was related to pre-operative screening for all
elective surgical cases and its related issues. The new norm
in practice was found to be non-standardized and involved
untested devices or workflow that have since been phased
out with growing evidence. Subsequent months after
reinstating full elective surgeries tested the ability of many
hospitals in handling the workload of non-COVID surgical
cases together with rising COVID-19 positive cases in the
second and third waves when stay-at-home orders eased.