Evaluation of the applicability of the distress thermometer scale for preoperative patients

Preoperative stress affects individuals psychologically as well as physiologically and sociologically. The study was conducted that patients will have surgery to evaluate the usability of the Distress Thermometer Scale. The data, questionnaire, Distress Thermometer, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), SF12 Health Questionnaire and reasons for patients' stress were gathered one day prior to the surgery in the study carried out with 200 patients who were admitted to surgery services to be operated. The ratio of male and female participants in the study is approximately fifty-fifty. Half of the patients, with an average age of approximately 50, had received a primary school education. The average stress score of the patients was 4.7±2.5, and it was determined that the stress levels of 49% of them were above this average. When HADS-A was taken as a measure according to the ROC curve 69.2% sensitivity and 58.3% specificity and a cutoff point of five or more on the DT was determined and when HADS-D was taken as a measure taken according to the ROC analysis 70.5% sensitivity and 59.3% specificity and a cutoff point of five or more on the DT was determined. It was determined that 88.5% of patients stated between 0 and 10 causes of stress while 11.5% of them mentioned 11 and above causes of stress. Some of the reasons expressed most often as causing stress for patients were getting an infection after surgery, feeling cold after surgery, and the inability to move freely. The average score of quality of life of the patients was determined out of 100 points, and it was found to be 38.5±9.9 for KSÖFD and 41.9±9.1 for KSÖMD. The Distress Thermometer can be used in patients who will have surgery to assess their stress levels and the list of causes of stress which developed in this study can be utilized for determining the causes of stress. The number of anxiety and stressors can be employed as a criterion to determine the stress however quality of life it is not a decisive criterion for preoperative stress. HADS was used as a criterion for DT; the device can be retested by using different stress scales together.