Comparison of the Effect of Citrus Aurantium and Oxazepam on the Preoperative Anxiety of Patients Candidate for Coronary Artery Implantation Operation

Preoperative anxiety is the general complains of the majority of patients referring to hospitals for operations. Considering the anti-anxiety effects of some herbs, this study compares the effect of citrus aurantium and oxazepam on the preoperative anxiety of patients Candidate for coronary artery implantation operation. This is a single blind trial. A total number of 66 patients (aged 40-56) who referred to Faghihi and Namazi hospitals, Shriaz for coronary artery implantation surgery were selected and randomly grouped in 2 groups. Three days before operation, the cases of group 1 (33 cases) received 1ml (2 gr) citrus aurantium on daily basis while the cases of group 2 (33 cases) received 1 oxazepam pill (1mg) in one oral dose. The anxiety of all cases was measured using Speilberger questionnaire. Data was analyzed using SPSS 12 as well as independent and paired t-tests. The citrus aurantium group showed a decreased anxiety compared to the oxazepam group but this decrease was not significant [p=0.23]. Citrus aurantium and oxazepam have the same effect on anxiety. Therefore, both can serve as an effective drug for mitigating preoperative anxiety.