D their efficacy to assess mental stress. Specifically, we examined the relationship between State Anxiety Inventory score (STAI-s) in subjects exposed to arithmetic stress and salivary chromogranin-A, α-amylase, or cortisol. The STAI-s was significantly correlated to salivary α-amylase (r = 0.589; P < 0.01) but not to salivary chromogranin-A or cortisol. Therefore, salivary α-amylase is a useful indicator of psychosocial stress....

Opedic surgery. Information on benzodiazepine use was obtained by face-to-face interview and visual assessment of the patient’s medicine chest. Postoperative confusion was assessed by using a confusion-assessment method. The patients were divided into two groups: those who regularly took benzodiazepines and those who did not. Fifty-seven (17%) of 328 patients were treated with benzodiazepines. There were no significant differences in preoperative Mini-Mental State (MMS) scores, anxiety scores, or depression scores between benzodiazepine users and nonusers. Postoperative confusion occurred in 15 (26%) of 57 benzodiazepine users and in 34 (13%) of 271 nonusers (P < 0.01). The patients who had a score <23 on the MMS were 5 (9%) of 57 benzodiazepine users and 8 (3%) of 271 nonusers (P < 0.05). Postoperative confusion occurred in 13 (35%) of 37 long-term benzodiazepine users (daily use for >1 yr) and in 2 (10%) of 20 short-term users (daily use for <1 yr). The incidence of postoperative confusion was significantly more frequent in long-term than in short-term benzodiazepine users or nonusers of benzodiazepines. The patients who developed a score <23 on the MMS were 5 (14%) of 37 long-term benzodiazepine users and 0 (0%) of 20 short-term benzodiazepine users. In conclusion, the incidence of postoperative confusion was significantly more frequent in long-term benzodiazepine users....

Drugs. Thus, anesthesiologists must not only be aware of the perioperative problems of these patients but must also learn how to manage their perioperative course....